Frequently Asked Questions About Cervical Hernia
What Is the Usual Treatment Method for Cervical Hernias?
As is known, cervical hernias cause severe neck and arm pain. The main reason for this condition is that the intervertebral joint slips out of place and compresses the nerves going to the arm. When a patient with such complaints comes to the physician, all non-surgical methods are first used to try to treat the patient. However, in a small group of patients, the complaints do not improve because the compression is too severe, and the hernia is removed surgically.
Does Removing Only the Hernia Make the Complaints Go Away?
In fact, once the pressure on the nerve root is removed, the pain is relieved. However, the next stage is whether the emptied joint space should be left as it is, and if not, what it should be filled with. In many centers, after single-level hernia surgery, the intervertebral space is not filled with any material, while in some centers this space is filled with bone or a cage. After a period of time following this filling procedure, the two vertebrae fuse together.
What Kind of Benefit or Harm Does Fusion of the Vertebrae Provide?
The fusion of two vertebrae helps prevent pain that may develop in the neck and between both shoulder blades after the surgery there. However, in long-term follow-up, it may create a basis for greater load on adjacent levels. Indeed, it has been reported that after fusion, strain occurs at adjacent levels, which accelerates the development of degeneration at those levels. For this reason, the idea emerged of placing a new artificial joint when the intervertebral joint is removed at these levels.
What Does an Artificial Joint Provide?
An artificial joint takes over the function of the patient’s own joint. In other words, in the section where the joint has been removed, forward, backward, sideways bending and rotational movements can be performed. In other words, since the existing motion is preserved, accelerated degeneration at adjacent levels will be prevented.
Are There Any Other Benefits of the Artificial Joint?
Since bone does not need to be taken from the hip for the bones to fuse after the hernia is removed, an additional procedure is also avoided. In addition, materials such as cages and plates will not be used to increase fusion, and intermittent X-rays will not be taken and radiation will not be given to check whether fusion has occurred. Moreover, since the postoperative course is considerably shorter, patients can return to work in a short time.
