What are Artificial Disc components made from

The most anticipated advance in spine surgery over the past 20 years is the arrival of the Artificial disc. Artificial discs are designed to act like your own discs. Artificial disc components are usually made of soft plastic between two metal plates. A common aspect of all artificial discs is that they are designed to retain the natural movement in the spine by duplicating the shock-absorbing and rotational function of the discs Mother Nature gave us at birth. Most Artificial disc designs have plates that attach to the vertebrae and a rotational component that fits between these fixation plates. These components are typically designed to withstand stress and rotational forces over long periods of time. Still, like any manmade material, they can be affected by wear and tear. Doctors normally fit the Artificial disc into your spine through a small cut near your belly button. It is a form of ‘keyhole surgery’, carried out through a small opening, which usually results in a faster recovery than conventional surgery. Artificial Disc component is made of three parts:

Two metal (cobalt-chrome alloy) endplates that are anchored to the top and bottom surfaces of the spinal bones (vertebrae)
A plastic (ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, or UHMWPE) inlay that fits between the two endplates The plastic inlay and endplates help restore the natural distance between the two vertebrae (disc height). The top (superior) endplate can slide over the domed part of the inlay, which can allow movement at the level where it is implanted.

With the sky-rocketing cost of health care facilities in developed countries like the US and the UK, developing countries like India is now emerging as a major health care facilitator and a centre for medical tourism for the large populace around the globe. India has the most competent doctors and world class Medical Facilities. Also the Artificial disc components are made available along with the standard and authenticated mark eradicating the possibility of use of duplicate material. With most competitive charges for treatment; India has state of the art Hospitals with the best infrastructure, the best possible Medical facilities, accompanied with the most competitive prices. Price advantage is a major selling point. The slogan, thus is, “First World treatment” at “Third World prices”. The cost differential across the board is huge: only a tenth and sometimes even a sixteenth of the cost in the West.