An experienced entrepreneur and the CEO of Subscription Ink in Shawnee, Kansas, Russell “Rusty” Rahm has also won acclaim as a powerboat racing champion with two Key West SBI World Championship trophies. But a few years ago, Rusty Rahm needed spinal surgery and was uncertain if he would ever be able to compete again.
Dr. Michael Janssen, an expert in treating athletes, offered an innovative approach to total disc replacement (TDR) that succeeded in returning Rusty Rahm to the sport he loved within two months after surgery.
A TDR procedure gives people with extreme chronic back pain an innovative alternative to traditional spinal fusion surgery. In TDR, a surgeon implants an artificial disc in place of the patient’s own deteriorating disc. The procedure is anchored in modern medicine’s understanding of the structure and function of the spine.
The spine consists of three main portions: in ascending order, the lumbar, thoracic, and cervical. The bones of the spine are called vertebrae. The 24 total vertebrae are arranged in a stack, one atop another.
The spine’s cushioning discs lie between the vertebrae and permit the vertebrae to move in various directions without abrading against one another.
When a surgeon performs TDR surgery, all of the patient’s discs are exchanged for a series of artificially created ones. These artificial discs are typically made from metal or a biopolymer.
Dr. Michael Janssen, an expert in treating athletes, offered an innovative approach to total disc replacement (TDR) that succeeded in returning Rusty Rahm to the sport he loved within two months after surgery.
A TDR procedure gives people with extreme chronic back pain an innovative alternative to traditional spinal fusion surgery. In TDR, a surgeon implants an artificial disc in place of the patient’s own deteriorating disc. The procedure is anchored in modern medicine’s understanding of the structure and function of the spine.
The spine consists of three main portions: in ascending order, the lumbar, thoracic, and cervical. The bones of the spine are called vertebrae. The 24 total vertebrae are arranged in a stack, one atop another.
The spine’s cushioning discs lie between the vertebrae and permit the vertebrae to move in various directions without abrading against one another.
When a surgeon performs TDR surgery, all of the patient’s discs are exchanged for a series of artificially created ones. These artificial discs are typically made from metal or a biopolymer.
