Case Report: 50-Year-Old Male Treated with PRODISC®
Case History
The patient is a 50-year-old farmer with a seven-year history of low back pain. The patient described his pain as severe when standing or sitting and less severe when lying. He reported significant pain during work-related activities. He was no longer able to lift heavy objects (e.g., bags of soil and seed). Further, he had to brace himself while shaving, etc.
Diagnosis
Work-up revealed that the patient had Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) at the L5-S1 level. See Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 1: Lateral X-Ray - DDD at L5-S1
Figure 2: Lateral MRI - DDD at L5-S1
Non-Surgical Treatment
Non-surgical treatments included non-steroidal and anti-inflammatory medications, epidural steroid injections, and physical therapy. Conservative measures failed to alleviate the pain.
Surgical Options
The patient was given two options: 1) lumbar fusion surgery; or 2) disc replacement surgery as a participant in the nonrandomized portion of the PRODISC® disc replacement trial. He elected to have disc replacement surgery because he was interested in preserving motion in his lower lumbar region.
Surgical Outcome
The patient’s surgery and hospital course were uncomplicated. Six weeks following surgery he reported a significant reduction in pain. He stated that any residual pain was probably associated with decreased muscle tone due to long-term deconditioning. The patient felt confident that this would resolve as he gradually resumed his normal activities. Figures 3 through 5 illustrate placement of the PRODISC®.
Figure 3: Anterior X-Ray - PRODISC®
Figure 4: Lateral X-Ray - PRODISC®
Figure 5: Lateral X-Ray Spine Bent Forward - PRODISC®