Study of mechanical effects of lumbar disc arthroplasty on facet joints at the index level/adjacent levels by using a validated finite element analysis.

Lumbar disc arthroplasty is a surgical procedure designed to treat degenerative disc disease by replacing the affected disc with a mobile prosthesis. Several types of implants fall under the term total disc replacement, such as ball-and-socket, mobile core or elastic prostheses. Some studies have shown that facet arthritis can develop after arthroplasty, without much precision on the mechanical impact of the different implant technologies on the facet joints.