Biomechanics of nonfusion implants.

Although spine fusion is a versatile and effective technique in the treatment of spinal disorders, increased stresses on adjacent unfused levels lead to symptomatic adjacent level degeneration in many patients. The goal of nonfusion devices in spine surgery is to ablate or unload painful structures while preserving segmental motion. The intended performance of nonfusion devices such as disc replacement, nucleus pulposus replacement, and posterior stabilization devices can be understood from the biomechanics of the functional spinal unit in health and disease and the interplay between the motion segment and the device. Implant design issues can also markedly affect performance.