Surgery

Q&A: Cervical disk replacement

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My husband has had terrible neck pain for a few years. It has gotten to the point where he cannot turn his head to either side enough to drive safely. We heard that replacing a disk in his neck might be ...

Surgery

Maintain motion with new artificial disk surgery

Neck pain is a common issue that affects most adults. It can make driving a vehicle, performing computer work and taking part in hobbies painful or impossible. Cervical disk replacement is a new surgical procedure that can ...

Surgery

Mayo Clinic Minute: Scoliosis is not just for kids

Scoliosis is a condition that causes the spine to curve. It's frequently diagnosed in children—often during the growth spurt just before puberty. But it can happen in adults.

Health

Evolution and spine shape may predispose you to back problems

The reason many humans experience pain in their lower back can be found in our evolutionary past, according to new research from a team of bioarchaeologists at the University of Sydney, Simon Fraser University and the University ...

Medical research

Cellular clock regulating human spine development

More than 20 years ago, the lab of developmental biologist Olivier Pourquié discovered a sort of cellular clock in chicken embryos where each "tick" stimulates the formation of a structure called a somite that ultimately ...

Surgery

Best treatment for herniated disc

Sudden back pain is often caused by a herniated disc. The intervertebral discs are a kind of buffer between the vertebrae and are heavily strained over the years. If they become brittle and break, parts of the tissue can ...

Surgery

Researchers seek to decode the mechanics of the lower vertebrae

Thanks to a collaboration with the Balgrist University Hospital and University of Pittsburgh, Empa is beginning to decode the mechanics of the lower vertebrae. Researchers would like be able to reveal how wear and tear comes ...

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