Intervertebral disc replacement
1. What is an intervertebral disc?
The spine consists of vertebrae that are connected to each other by intervertebral discs. These intervertebral discs act as shock absorbers and enable movement and stability of the spine.
2. Why might an intervertebral disc be replaced?
If surgery is performed on the cervical spine from the front, the intervertebral disc is removed. This must then be replaced. This is possible with either a cage or an artificial disc. The cage results in a stiffening, while the artificial disc allows the cervical spine to remain mobile.
3. How does an artificial intervertebral disc work?
The artificial disc often consists of 2 metal plates that are connected to each other by a polyethylene core. This enables a more natural movement and in certain cases also shock absorption.
4. Advantages
Compared to traditional fusion surgery, in which two vertebrae are fused together, the artificial disc allows the mobility and flexibility of the spine to be maintained. This can help to relieve the adjacent segments and prevent so-called subsequent degeneration.
It is important to emphasize that the decision for an artificial disc should be made on an individual basis and must be made in close consultation with the attending physician. In certain cases, this intervention can be a promising option for relieving pain and maintaining or restoring the functionality of the spine.
Specialist in Neuro Surgery
Dr. med. Christian Groß
Specialist in Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery / Spine Surgery
Specializations
Specialist in the treatment of spinal disorders
Range of Medical Services
All infiltration treatments/injection treatment of the spine (joints/nerves) under fluoroscopic technique incl. denervation of the facet joints, chirotherapy/manual medicine, all stabilizing, nerve-relieving and corrective surgical procedures of the entire spine surgery, minimally invasive techniques
Contact / Consultation Hours
Sporthopaedicum
Bismarckstraße 45-47
10627 Berlin
✆ +49 (0) 30 92 10 59 93
🖷 +49 (0) 30 41 46 84 1
📧 gross@sporthopaedicum.de
More Information
- With well over 2000 independent surgical procedures of all degrees of difficulty on the spine, Dr. Groß is a proven expert in this field.
- Dr. Christian Groß is one of the few spine surgeons in Germany to hold the operative and conservative master’s certificates of the German Spine Society (DWG), the most important national spine society with representatives from orthopedics, trauma surgery and neurosurgery.
- After working as a senior physician for spine and scoliosis surgery at Charité Berlin, he served as the head physician of the spine division and as the head senior physician and deputy head physician of the clinic for orthopedics and trauma surgery at Helios Klinikum Emil von Behring in Berlin since 2013.
- At the Charité Berlin, he specialized for many years in the surgical and conservative care of all diseases of the spine.
Memberships
- DWG (German Spine Society)
- DGOOC (German Society for Orthopedics and Orthopedic Surgery)
- AOSpine
Awards
- Under his leadership, Dr. Groß and his then team at Helios Klinikum Emil von Behring received the “Best Recommendation Therapy of a Herniated Disc” in the representative Tagesspiegel Physician Survey for 2020/21.
Dr. med. Friedrich Kleinod
Specialist in Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery
Special Orthopedic Surgery
Specializations
Endoprosthesis of the hip and knee joints and the spine
Range of Medical Services
Spine
all operations minimally invasive tissue-sparing with microscope
Fractures: kyphoplasty, vertebroplasty, stabilization
Herniated discs: minimally invasive nucleotomies, multifunctional electrode (Pasha catheter), disc prosthesis
WS facet joint diseases: Facet joint denervations (radiofrequency therapy), fusions
Disc degeneration: cervical and lumbar disc prostheses, fusions (PLIF,ILIF,ALIF,TLIF), stabilizations, dynamic coupling, interspinous spreader multifunctional electrode (Pasha catheter)
Spinal stenosis: dilatation surgery, fusions, multifunctional electrode (Pasha catheter)
Tumors: sampling, stabilizations
Hip joint
Minimally invasive hip joint endoprosthesis (TEP: long-shaft prosthesis, short-shaft prosthesis, hybrid fittings for osteoporosis or rheumatism), hip joint arthroscopy
Knee joint
Minimally invasive knee joint endoprosthesis (TEP: total replacement, sled prosthesis),
cruciate ligament replacement, cartilage surgery: autologous transfer (OATS), cartilage cell engineering (MACI),
microfracturing, meniscus suture, conversion osteotomies
Ankle joint
Ankle joint endoprosthesis and arthroscopy, ligamentoplasties
Elbow joint
Arthroscopy, denervations
Contact / Consultation Hours
Orthopädische Praxis Dr. Friedrich Kleinod
Prerower Platz 4
13051 Berlin-Hohenschönhausen
✆ +49 (0) 30 929 40 39
🖷 +49 (0) 30 920 50 64
📧 praxisteam@dr-kleinod.de
Dr. med. Reinhard Urmersbach
Specialist in Neuro Surgery
Specializations
Surgical treatments of degenerative spinal diseases
Range of Medical Services
Minimally invasive procedures for disc herniation, disc endoprosthetics, stabilization/fixation, kyphoplasty, nerve surgery, IDET, thermocoagulation/facet denervation, neurosurgical pain management
Contact / Consultation Hours
Diagnostisches Zentrum Berlin
Joachim-Friedrich-Straße 16
10711 Berlin
✆ +49 (0) 30 37 40 17 20
🖷 +49 (0) 30 37 40 17 22
📧 mail@praxis-urmersbach.de
Prof. Dr. med. Christian Woiciechowsky
Specialist in Neuro Surgery and Sports Medicine
Specializations
Fully endoscopic and minimally invasive operations on the spine and intervertebral discs
Range of Medical Services
Full-endoscopic disc surgery of the cervical and lumbar spine, full-endoscopic widening of the spinal canal, full-endoscopic facet denervation, disc replacement, dynamic stabilization, spinal fixation, kyphoplasty, neurosurgical pain management, nerve surgery, neuromodulation (pain stimulator).
Contact / Consultation Hours
Internationales Zentrum für endoskopische und minimalinvasive Wirbelsäulenoperation
International Center for Endoscopic and Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
Tauentzienstraße 7B/C
10789 Berlin
✆ +49 (0) 30 26 39 64 80
🖷 +49 (0) 30 26 39 64 811
📧 praxis@woiciechowsky.de
More Information
- “Endoscopic disc surgery” (PDF in German) Article by Prof. Dr. Christian Woiciechowsky in the sportärztezeitung 01/2021
- Former Deputy Director of the Clinic for Neurosurgery of the Charité
- Former Chief Physician of the Clinic for Back Medicine and Spine Surgery at the Vivantes Humboldt Clinic
- Instructor RIWOSpine Alliance, instructor in full endoscopic spine surgery
- Master certificate of the German Spine Society
- Stays abroad at “The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions”, Baltimore (USA), “Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois”, Lausanne (Switzerland) and “Harvard Medical School”, Boston (USA).
Memberships
- German Society for Neurosurgery
- Professional Association of German Neurosurgeons
- German Spine Society
- International Society for Endoscopic Spine Surgery
- German Society for Ultrasound in Medicine
- German Triathlon Union
- 1. chairman InterSpine e.V., association for back health and sports
- German Society for Sports Medicine and Prevention (Deutscher Sportärztebund) e.V.
Awards
Listed as a recommended doctor on the FOCUS doctor search since 2018.
