"Disc-ecting the Details": What’s Inside Your Disc Replacement? | Guest: Dr. Neill Wright, MD

On this episode of TheAthleteSpine, we welcome a former fellowship mentor of Dr. Nemani — the renowned cervical spine surgeon, Dr. Neill Wright! He currently serves as the Medical Director at Neurosurgery of St. Louis where he continues to treat patients with a variety of cervical spine disorders. He had crossed paths with Dr. Nemani back at Washington University in St. Louis where he was the former Herbert Lourie Professor of Neurosurgery. Dr. Wright is a cervical spine specialist and has been a crucial pioneer of cervical spine replacements over the past 2-3 decades. On several prior episodes, we have discussed the growing application of cervical disc replacements in athletes (and a wide range at that!). And this topic has certainly been controversial on many fronts, but the technical features and technology have significantly improved over the years. But do you ever wonder… What are these disc replacements made of? Which one should you get? Is there one implant that is superior to others? Why do they fail (when they do)? How exactly have disc replacements change over time? Well — we touch on these topics and more! Enjoy! #spinesurgery #cervicalspine #discreplacement #arthroplasty #spine #discherniation