Heterotopic ossification after artificial disc replacement: problems and prospects / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: In the past ten years, because of the complications such as adjacent vertebral diseases after the discectomy and interbody fusion fixation, the artificial cervical disc replacement gradually replaces part of intervertebral disc and interbody fusion with internal fixation, and has become a new choice of a surgical treatment of spinal degenerative diseases resection; however, heterotopic ossification after the artificial intervertebral disc replacement as a postoperative problem has attracted the field attention. OBJECTIVE: To review the domestic and foreign research progress on heterotopic ossification after artificial disc replacement. METHODS: The first author retrieved PubMed database, Chinese Journal Full-text Database for related articles published from November 1973 to May 2017. The key words were "cervical vertebrae, artificial disc replacement, heterotopic ossification, research progress". A total of 216 articles were retrieved, and 45 articles met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Heterotopic ossification had a certain occurrence rate after artificial disc replacement. The susceptible factors and preventive measures were still controversial. (2) Future research regarding heterotopic ossification after artificial intervertebral disc replacement mainly focused on the development of biomechanics, molecular level and degenerative change. It is expected that in the near future, artificial disc that is more suitable for human spine biomechanics environment will appear; heterotopic ossification after artificial disc replacement will be more in-depth research.