A Multicenter Retrospective Study of the Clinical Results of the LINK®SB CharitéA Intervertebral Prosthesis. The Initial European Experience

Abstract

Independent analysis by chart review included patient demographics, surgical data, end a comparison of presurgical to follow-up data. Data were analysed from 93 patients (average age - 43.0 ± 7.3) in Whom e total of 139 Model III prostheses (Waldemar Link GmbH & Co, Hamburg, Germany) Were implanted. The predominant diagnostic Indication for the disc was degenerative disc disease (52.4%). The L4-L5 and L5-S1 levels comprised 87.1% of all levels implanted. The average follow-up was 11.5 ± 7.4 months, After disc implantation, a significant proportion of the patient sample experienced pain relief (P < 0.05). Improvements were also noted in pain intensity, walking distance, lumbar mobility, and the percentage of patients showing a positive SLR or neurological weakness, No difference in word status after disc implantation could be detected. Device failure, migration, or dislocation occurred in 6 of 93 (6.5%) patients. This study represents the largest multi-center case series of any functional artificial disc implantation. Carefully controlled, prospective studies that compare disc implantation and fusion are warranted.