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Recent News and Articles on the Keywords: degenerative disc + disc + degenerative  Related to the article below (Last Update: 8/5/2008)

MetroHealth offers disc replacement for bulging neck discs WKYC-TV, OH - ... degenerative problems above and below the fusion site, eventually requiring more surgery years later. She hopes disc replacements avoid that problem. ... FDA Approves Expanded 510k Classification for Titan Spine's ... MarketWatch - Jul 29, 2008 Under its expanded 510K indication, the Endoskeleton(R) TA Interbody Fusion Device is approved for use in skeletally mature patients with Degenerative Disc ... Integra LifeSciences Acquires Theken Spine Primenewswire (press release), CA - Products include cervical plates, pedicle screws, spacers, degenerative/deformity, trauma devices, and synthetic bone substitute products. Theken Disc is a ...IART New Spine Therapies For Back Pain TheDenverChannel.com, CO - Jul 30, 2008 Common causes of leg or back pain in the younger (20-60 year old) population include disc problems like disc herniation, degenerative disc disease and ... Ottawa Citizen Around the world to a better back Ottawa Citizen,  Canada - Jul 14, 2008 Eric Slone, who went to India to receive treatment for degenerative disc disease, is shown with an X-ray of his spine after surgery. ... What's New in Orthopaedic Research Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (subscription) - Aug 1, 2008 Human degenerative disc disease has early correlates of decreased disc hydration and blurring of the nucleus/anulus segments as well as later correlates of ... A New Frontier in the Battle Against Disc Degeneration Newswise (press release) - Jul 8, 2008 ... and investigators indicate that in some of the animals the disc disease has shown significant improvement with slowing of the degenerative process. ... Integra LifeSciences Announces Agreement to Acquire Theken Spine MarketWatch - Jul 24, 2008 Products include cervical plates, pedicle screws, spacers, degenerative/deformity, trauma devices, and synthetic bone substitute products. Theken Disc is a ...IART TranS1 Inc. Reports Operating Results for the Second Quarter of 2008 CNNMoney.com (press release) - Jul 31, 2008 ... developing and marketing products that implement its proprietary minimally invasive surgical approach to treat degenerative disc disease affecting the ...TSON North Carolina Jury Returns Low Verdict For Neck Injury InjuryBoard.com, FL - Jul 6, 2008 In cases involving injuries to the neck and back the insurance companies almost always claim that the victim has a pre-existing degenerative disc disease. ...

Degenerative Disc Disease

Nearly everyone shows some signs of wear and tear on the spinal discs as they age. Not everyone, however, will have symptoms described as degenerative disc disease. Not actually a disease, degenerative disc disease refers to a condition in which pain is caused from a damaged disc. A wide range of symptoms and severity is associated with this condition.

The discs are like shock absorbers between the bones of the spine and are designed to help the back stay flexible while resisting terrific forces in many different planes of motion. Each disc has two parts:

• A firm, tough outer layer (annulus fibrosus). The outer portion of this layer contains nerves. If the disc tears in this area, it can become quite painful.
• A soft, jelly-like core (nucleus puposus). This part of the disc contains proteins that can cause the tissues they touch to become swollen and tender. If these proteins leak out to the nerves of the outer layer of disc they can cause a great deal of pain.

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Unlike other tissues of the body, there is very little blood supply to the disc. Once a disc is injured, it cannot repair itself, and a spiral of degeneration can set in with three stages that appear to occur over 20 to 30 years:

• Acute pain makes normal movement of the back difficult
• The bone where the injury occurred becomes relatively unstable. Over a long period of time, the patient will have back pain that comes and goes.
• The body restabilizes the injured segment of the back. The patient experiences fewer bouts of back pain.

The X-ray below shows degenerated discs on the left before surgery. On the right is an X-ray of the discs after traditional spinal fusion surgery.

Symptoms

The typical person with degenerative disc disease is active, otherwise healthy and in his or her 30s or 40s. Common symptoms of this condition include:

• Pain that is worse when sitting. While seated, the discs of the lower back have three times more load on them than when standing.
• Pain that gets worse when bending, lifting or twisting
• Feeling better while walking or even running than while sitting or standing for long periods of time
• Feeling better changing positions often or lying down
• Periods of severe pain that come and go. These last from a few days to a few months before getting better. They can range from nagging pain to severe, disabling pain.
• Pain can affects the low back, buttocks and thighs or the neck, depending on where the affected disc is
• Numbness and tingling
• Weakness in the leg muscles or foot drop may be a sign that there is damage to the nerve root

Causes and Risk Factors

Several factors can cause discs to degenerate, including age. Specific factors include:

• The drying out of the disc. When we are born, the disc is about 80% water. As we age, the disc dries out and doesn't absorb shocks as well
• Daily activities and sports cause tears in the outer core of the disc. By the age of 60, most people have some degree of disc degeneration. Not everyone at that age has back pain, however.
• Injuries, which can cause swelling, soreness and instability. This can result in low back pain.
• Some people appear to have more nerve endings deeper in the outer area of the disc. This may make them more sensitive to back pain.

Diagnosis

A diagnosis is based on a medical history and a physical examination, as well as the symptoms and the circumstances where the pain started. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI scan) can show damage to discs, but it alone cannot confirm degenerative disc disease.

Treatment

Treatment options include artificial disc replacement.