[Maria]

I've long wondered this as well considering I've had a 20 plus year lumbar back history and DDD noted back in early '90s when post second surgical MRIs done more regularly.

If the ligaments and musculature (any other structures) have adapted to the progressive degerative spine over time or maybe just shortened/contracted~ then hypothetically could restoring disc space to normal height be potentially problematic for longer term spine patients.

It would be cool if there were a measuring device that could approximate what an idividual could tolerate in terms of disc space height and then like that type of mattress that could be pumped up, be pumped up in terms of tolerace. Sort of like recreating pain with discogram but more like measurements that fall between the fine line of creating pain and alleviating pain.

I wonder about fusing L5S1 ~ restoring L4 and then what will happen with my anular tear L3. Will it like the work done on the other two discs or will it rage against it. That's if my facets are even still good enough for any disc replacement and/or bone density willing still in this country (w/o vertebroplasty)!