Development of a Bioresorbable Interbody Fusion Device

Although low back pain is the most common cause of disability in the adult, Hult (1) recognized that neck, shoulder, and arm pain affected 51% of the adult population. This is most commonly caused by cervical spondylosis, with degeneration of the intervertebral disk, hypertrophy of the vertebral joints, and narrowing of the neuroforamen (Fig. 1). It commonly produces neck pain and referred pain to the shoulder and medial border of the scapula. It is commonly responsible for headaches, and produces pain radiating below the elbow, numbness and tingling in the fingers, weakness and loss of coordination in the upper extremities, and, in advanced cases, may result in compressive lesions of the spinal cord, resulting in spastic paraplegia. Usually, this is a self-limited process that can be treated with conservative measures, such as home traction, exercise, anti-inflammatory medication, or a soft cervical collar. For more recalcitrant cases, chiropractic or physical therapy are valuable adjuncts. Occasionally, however, the symptoms do not respond to conservative measures.