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SB Charite Artificial Disc
The SB Charite Artificial Disc serves as a
replacement for degenerative lumbar discs to alleviate pain and retain mobility
of the affected spinal section. By maintaining mobility, damage to adjoining
sections, often observed after fusion, has so far not been reported.
History of SB Charite
SB Charite was invented by Drs. Karin Buttner-Janz and Prof. Kurt Schellnack at the Charité
University Hospital in Berlin and further developed in collaboration with
Waldemar LINK GmbH and Co.
SB Charite One was implanted for the first time in 1984
The as yet unmodified type SB Charite III has been in use since 1987
and several THOUSAND patients worldwide have been
operated on using the SB Charite Artificial Disc.
The SB Charite III Method
The ADR process a
Back Pain and Spinal Surgery
One common cause of low lumbar back pain
is "degenerative disc disease" also known as "DDD". The condition may take many
different forms (e.g. a herniated disc or a collapsed disc) and your doctor may
also describe it differently. Any of these conditions can result from a disc
that has lost its proper form and therefore does not function properly, causing
significant pain when you move or attempt to perform normal daily activities.
The purpose, then, of any spinal surgery or disc surgery is to relieve this
recurring back pain.
One common surgical method for relieving this type of back pain is to stop the
movement of the afflicted disc or motion segment by fusing the vertebrae
together in that specific area. This is referred to as "spinal fusion surgery".
There are different methods of spinal fusion surgery, but most involve placing
metal implants (e.g. plates, rods and screws) into the vertebrae or bones of the
spine to hold them still and achieve what is referred to as a "fusion". This
type of procedure may also involve placing bone or fusion cages into the disc
space to assist in fusing the spine bones together.
The Concept of a Total Disc Replacement
Differing from current spine fusion techniques, total disc replacement is
intended to maintain motion at the operative level once the damaged disc has
been removed. Additionally, total disc replacement theoretically protects the
discs at adjacent levels by sharing or distributing the stress through the lower
back during normal activities such as lifting and bending (flexion and
extension).
Replacement of painful arthritic joints is extremely common. For example,
artificial hip and knee replacements are among the most successful and reliable
operations performed today, with good results typically in over 90% of patients.
Since artificial hips and knees were introduced in the 1960’s, surgeons have
explored the idea of prosthetic replacements for damaged or degenerated
intervertebral discs. As the intervertebral disc and its biomechanical behavior
are very complex, the engineering a total disc replacement has been challenging.
Total disc replacement with Link Spine Group’s SB Charite Intervertebral Dynamic
Disc Spacer has been performed in Europe for over 14 years and has been used in
treating nearly 4,000 patients worldwide.
The SB Charite Intervertebral Dynamic Disc Spacer
The SB Charite Intervertebral Dynamic Disc Spacer (also known as an artificial
disc or total disc replacement) was originally developed at the Charité Clinic
in Berlin, Germany in the mid-1980’s through a co-operation between leading
orthopaedic spine specialists and the staff at Waldemar Link GmbH, a leading
European based medical device manufacturer based in Hamburg, Germany.
The SB Charite disc is a prosthesis system consisting of two endplates made of high
quality cobalt chromium alloy with an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene
sliding core placed between them. Both of these materials are well tolerated by
the body and are the same standardized implant materials that have been used in
artificial hip and knee prostheses for the last 30 years.
The endplates are attached to the vertebral bodies by means of anchoring teeth
along their edge. The polyethylene sliding core is placed between these
articulating endplates and is designed to allow near normal physiological
movement. Much like an artificial hip or knee that relies on metal and plastic
bearing surfaces to replicate normal movement of those joints, the SB Charite
disc is
designed to closely mimic the normal function of a healthy disc.
The surgical procedure for the SB Charite disc requires placement of the implant
using an anterior (front) approach with a small incision just below the belly
button. The degenerative disc is removed at the affected level and the SB
Charité Intervertebral Dynamic Disc Spacer is placed into the disc space.
The SB Charite disc has received the CE mark and is commercially available outside of
the United States in over 25 countries throughout Europe, Asia, Canada,
Australia, Africa and Latin America.
The ADR process a
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