By: 16 September 2021
ADR innovator Todd Lanman becomes first in US to perform reversal of prior 3-level cervical fusion

Artificial disc replacement innovator Dr Todd H Lanman, founder of the national ADR Advanced Disc Replacement Spinal Restoration Center in the US, has become the first spinal neurosurgeon in the US to restore motion at three contiguous levels of a patient’s cervical spine.

Thanks to a breakthrough new procedure conceived by Dr Lanman, which he has termed ‘Restorative Motion Surgery,’ his 60-year-old patient went from years of excruciating pain, physical therapy, injections, stem cell therapy, traction, high dose narcotic medications, and severe limited range of motion in her neck to regaining nearly full mobility in her neck.

This patient had previously been fused through multiple surgeries extending from her cervical 2 vertabrae to her cervical 7. Since her most recent surgery two and a half years ago, her pain had been increasing and radiating down her left arm. She had also been experiencing numbness and weakness.

She was suffering from the results of a non-union failed fusion in her cervical 6-7, caused by loosening screws, causing irritation on her nerve.

She came to Dr Lanman eager to increase her mobility, restore motion and relieve pain. After noting she was a candidate for reversal of her fusions, due to the fact that her facet joints were open and capable, they decided to move forward with the off-label Restorative Motion Surgery.

During the procedure, which lasted just under three hours, Dr Lanman removed three contiguous levels of fusions, restricting three-fifths of motion in her neck, and replaced them with artificial discs.

Four days following surgery, the patient was experiencing no more arm pain, numbness or weakness.

The ADR Spinal Restoration Center specialises in minimally-invasive spine surgery solutions, including artificial disc replacement, robotic spinal surgery, and other alternatives to restore a patient’s motion and return them to an active and functional lifestyle.

As part of its 4D Health Approach, the Center also provides a future-forward approach to bone health and aging management to ensure continued movement and flexibility beyond just surgical procedures.

The practice is currently enrolling select candidates for motion preserving alternatives in clinical research trials featuring devices by Orthofix, Centinel Spine, and Synergy Spine Solutions.

Dr Lanman has spent 30 years overseeing clinical trials relating to artificial disc replacement, presiding over most spine medicine advancements as a principal investigator, leading to their FDA approvals. He continues to act as a medical educator and expert contributor in the media, in addition to an associate professor at UCLA for the past two decades. He has published many peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. His Beverly Hills-based practice, Lanman Spinal Neurosurgery, is affiliated with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center’s Institute for Spinal Disorders and UCLA Medical Center.

For more information on Lanman Spinal Neurosurgery, visit www.spine.md.