美国DePuy公司推出治疗下腰部疼痛的Charite椎间盘

一种被称作Charite的人造椎间盘（Charite Disc）最近推向市场，使用它替代发生损伤或者退行性病变的椎间盘，从而发挥治疗重度下腰部疼痛的作用。这是美国食品和药品管理局（the U.S. Food and Drug Administration，FDA）批准的首类产品。
位于德克萨斯州普莱诺时（Plano, TX, USA）的后背研究院（The Texas Back Institute，TBI）是美国第一个进行人造椎间盘置换术的医学中心。TBI是美国国立研究机构15个临床中心之一。
治疗下腰部疼痛最常采用的外科手术方式是脊柱融合术，可以有效地缓解疼痛，但是却极大地限制了腰部的运动幅度，并且增大了融合部位上方和下方的受力程度。比较人工椎间盘置换术与脊柱融合术的临床试验发现：Charite椎间盘置换术的患者能够维持或者增加了运动幅度，疼痛减轻较快，术后恢复也较快。患者对手术感到满意。手术过程通常只需60-90分钟。
TBI院长Scott Blumenthal博士是该试验的首席研究员，他指出：“迄今为止，通过椎间盘融合减轻疼痛的脊柱手术会限制了脊柱的运动幅度。现在是第一次，我们能够在缓解患者下腰部疼痛的同时保留脊柱的运动功能”。Charite人造椎间盘是美国DePuy (DePuy，Inc.，Raynham，MA，USA)公司的产品。

Charite Disc Treats Low Back Pain

An artificial disc called Charite treats severe low back pain by replacing a damaged or worn-out spinal disc with an artificial one. The disc is the first such device to be cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The Texas Back Institute (TBI, Plano, TX, USA) was the first center to perform artificial disc surgery in the United States. TBI was one of 15 clinical sites in the national investigational study.
Lumbar spinal fusion, the most common surgical treatment for low back pain or degenerative disc disease, is effective in reducing pain but may significantly limit range of motion and put extra stress on discs above and below the fusion site. In trials comparing artificial disc replacement with spinal fusion surgery, Charite patients maintained or improved their range of motion, experienced pain relief sooner, had a quicker recovery, and were more satisfied with the procedure. The procedure generally takes about 60-90 minutes.
“Until now, spine surgery relieved pain by fusing discs, limiting motion,” noted Scott Blumenthal, M.D., principal investigator in the trial and president of TBI. “Now, for the first time, we can relieve pain and preserve motion.” The Charite disc is the product of DePuy, Inc. (Raynham, MA, USA)。