This is an exciting time for those involved in the care of patients with back pain. Generally, the goal in treating back pain patients is to reduce pain and increase function. Traditionally in spine surgery, as was the case many years ago for other joints, this goal has been pursued by eliminating motion of the symptomatic joint. Great progress was made years ago for hips and knees with the development of total joint replacements that allowed painless motion of what had been a painful and disabling degenerative joint. Since the mid 1980s similar progress has been made for the spine. Spinal Arthroplasty: A New Era in Spinal Care provides a comprehensive overview of the philosophy of motion-sparing technology in the evolving arena of spinal arthroplasty. This book describes the type of patients being treated with these devices, the historical development of the implants, the techniques and technologies of spinal arthroplasty, clinical results, and a preview of the possibilities for the next generation of treatments. The contributing authors are experts in their respective areas of spinal arthroplasty, and, in some cases, they are the inventors of the devices.
The experience and wisdom the editors and authors share give the reader a balanced understanding of the importance of motion preservation and stability in the management of degenerative disease. Spinal Arthroplasty: A New Era in Spinal Care will serve as an introduction to the less experienced in this philosophy of care as well as a reference tool for more experienced spinal care providers endeavoring to gain a greater understanding of the science that supports the preservation of motion in spinal reconstruction.