Scott, I am no expert by any means; but based on your explanations -- a hybrid or fusion sounds like the safer route.
The reasons for spurring are complicated, but can involved any combination of these factors:
- previous trauma;
- repetitive stresses;
- poor diet or health;
- autoimmune disease(s);
- localized disease in the spine (which is really what degenerative disc disease is!).
So, my question is perhaps more specific: what is the rate of changes that have been documented in your spine in the last few years? Is the spurring localized? What about the rate of change? Could this process continue AFTER disc replacement? If so, fusion is safer...
Spurring is said to be a biomechanical compensatory mechanism, but I can't untangle that from the mess of other variables or symptoms.
Dunno if this helps or hinders the process...
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