Arthritic facets are a contradiction for ADR.
In my case my facets on my right side were a major source of my pain.
I still have manageable pain at L4-L5 and L5-S1 because I've had a discectomy at each level..According to my latest CT scan I have moderate central canal stenosis and moderate right foramenal stenosis due to facet hypertrophy at L4-L5..If I were to get an ADR at L4-L5, disc pain could/would be eliminated and facet loading would be lessened but id still have arthritis at that facet level.What Boxer said makes sense if you havn't been dealing with damaged,thin degenerated discs for many years..
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Maybe your facets are in decent shape but have become loaded due to malfunctioning discs
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Once extra bone is created at the facets and the lining and joint has been compromised, reducing the load will not magically fix the joints..Motion at the damaged joint will only continue to degenerate it further..Removing spurring and bone from the joint will only compromise it and then stability becomes a problem..
IMO, ADR is for people that don't wait until their disc injuries cause a more rapid degeneration then the natural aging process.
Look how many people on this board continue to experience some type of pains after ADR...How would you like to spend $50,000 to fly to Europe and have a surgeon you never met before tell you you're a perfect candidate with the possibility that you might be told to go have a facet nerve block done down the road...Anyone considering ADR overseas needs to be proactive in diagnosing their own pains and symptoms...Do your due diligence, do your research and get as many opinions from reputable US surgeons as you can..
My 2 cents