Spine surgeons commonly use spinal implants to help stabilize and strengthen your spine. They're used in surgeries for a wide range of spine problems, including:
Implants are made of body-friendly materials, including titanium, titanium-alloy, stainless steel, and plastic. Titanium implants are strong, lightweight and can undergo MRI scans.
Spinal Implants at UVA Health
At UVA Health, our expert spine surgeons stay at the forefront of researching and developing new implants. That means we offer implants you won't find everywhere.
These new technologies have many benefits, including:
- Better pain and symptom relief
- Lower risk of the implant breaking or failing
- Reduced risk of complications
- Faster healing and recovery
We'll match you to the best implant for your body and specific condition.
Custom Implants
When possible, we use custom implants made specially for you. These can offer better results because they're made to fit your body. These include UNiD rods and the aprevo device, which are used during spinal fusion surgery.
Other Types of Implants
Other implants we use during spinal fusion include:
- Rods
- Plates
- Screws
- Interbody cages
We also sometimes replace a damaged disc with an artificial disc.