L5-S1 Lumbar Artificial Disc Replacement for Degenerative Disc Disease

Patient Assessment and Eligibility

The American Academy of Neurosurgery recommends that patients with single-level degenerative disc disease at L5-S1, who are between 18-60 years old, and have failed conservative management, are eligible for artificial disc replacement, as seen in a 27-year-old patient 4
Patients with significant pain (VAS >5) and functional impairment, and who have undergone >6 months of physician-supervised treatment, >8 weeks of physical therapy, and >6 weeks of oral medications, including NSAIDs, are considered to have failed conservative management 4
The presence of disc degeneration at L5-S1 with loss of height and signal intensity on MRI, and the absence of contraindications such as spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis, scoliosis, or osteoporosis, are key criteria for artificial disc replacement 4

The use of ProDisc-L for L5-S1 lumbar artificial disc replacement is medically necessary for patients with chronic low back pain due to intervertebral disc displacement and degenerative disc disease who have failed conservative management, as supported by evidence from the Journal of Neurosurgery 1, 2, 3

Patients who have undergone a previous microdiscectomy with continued symptoms, and have MRI-confirmed disc pathology without contraindications, may benefit from artificial disc replacement 4