Advanced Disc Replacement

09/08/2026

Few sports place as much repetitive stress on the lumbar spine as golf. Every swing combines rotation, flexion, and axial loading into a single movement, placing significant biomechanical demands on the lower back. Over time, those forces can contribute to disc degeneration and become a common source of golf-related spine injuries.

Technique plays an important role as well. Amateur golfers often place greater stress on the lumbar spine than professionals, whose refined mechanics distribute forces more efficiently throughout the body.

When surgery becomes necessary, the choice of procedure can have a meaningful impact on returning to the game. While spinal fusion eliminates motion at the treated level, artificial disc replacement is designed to preserve motion and maintain more natural spinal biomechanics. For appropriately selected patients, that can support a return to golf and other rotational activities with greater freedom of movement.

09/02/2026

California is home to two nationally recognized leaders in motion-preserving spine surgery within the ADR Top Doctors network: Dr. Todd Lanman, serving patients in Beverly Hills, and Dr. Joel Beckett, serving Beverly Hills and Marina del Rey.

With more than 35 years of experience in spinal neurosurgery, Dr. Lanman has been at the forefront of advancing artificial disc replacement and motion-preserving spine surgery. His 4D Health™ philosophy emphasizes restoring normal spinal biomechanics and long-term function—not simply relieving pain. As the founder of the ADR Top Doctors network, he has helped establish a trusted national resource connecting patients with highly experienced surgeons dedicated to motion preservation.

Dr. Joel Beckett is a board-certified neurosurgeon and former UCLA Neurosurgery faculty member with fellowship training from the Cleveland Clinic. His practice focuses on minimally invasive spine surgery, cervical and lumbar artificial disc replacement, and complex spinal reconstruction. Sharing Dr. Lanman's commitment to preserving motion whenever appropriate, Dr. Beckett combines advanced surgical techniques with a personalized, evidence-based approach to help patients return to active, healthy lives.

Together, Drs. Lanman and Beckett provide patients throughout Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Marina del Rey, and Southern California with access to two of the nation's leading experts in cervical and lumbar artificial disc replacement, offering advanced motion-preserving solutions for both primary and complex revision spine conditions.

08/31/2026

Pain relief has long been the primary measure of spine surgery success, but motion preservation deserves equal consideration.

Fusion surgery stabilizes the spine by eliminating movement at the affected level. It can resolve pain, but the restricted movement often shifts stress to adjacent discs, potentially accelerating wear over time.

Artificial disc replacement addresses both goals simultaneously, reducing pain while preserving natural motion. Patients maintain greater flexibility and function in daily activities, from bending and twisting to moving without restriction.

Evaluating surgical outcomes requires looking past pain relief alone. Preserved motion is equally important in long-term patient function.

08/24/2026

The clinical evidence supporting artificial disc replacement continues to grow. Decades of published research reinforce what Dr. Lanman has long advocated: for appropriately selected patients, motion preservation is a proven alternative to spinal fusion that can preserve function while delivering excellent long-term outcomes.

08/21/2026

Off-label use allows physicians to apply FDA-approved devices outside their original labeled indications when, in their clinical judgment, it is in the patient's best interest. This long-established practice has played an important role in advancing medicine by allowing experienced surgeons to address complex clinical problems that extend beyond standard treatment algorithms.

In spine surgery, thoughtful application of off-label techniques has expanded the possibilities for motion preservation. Today, appropriately selected patients may be candidates for multilevel artificial disc replacement, hybrid reconstruction combining fusion and artificial disc replacement, or even fusion reversal to restore motion at previously fused segments.

Every patient presents a unique anatomical and biomechanical challenge. The goal is not simply to perform a procedure, but to select the surgical strategy that best restores function, preserves motion whenever possible, and provides the greatest opportunity for long-term success.

If you've been told spinal fusion is your only option—or you're continuing to experience pain after a prior fusion—a comprehensive evaluation may reveal additional treatment possibilities. Schedule a consultation to determine whether motion-preserving spine surgery may be appropriate for your condition.

08/19/2026

Internationally recognized spinal neurosurgeon Dr. Todd H. Lanman shares his experience undergoing his 12th spine surgery—including his eighth lumbar procedure—on July 30, 2026.

The surgery was performed by board-certified spinal neurosurgeons Dr. Joel S. Beckett and Dr. Luke Macyszyn to relieve nerve compression caused by lumbar spinal stenosis at L2–L3 and L3–L4 and to remove selected pelvic fixation hardware associated with persistent symptoms.

Dr. Lanman returned to seeing patients the following Monday and resumed operating just five days after the procedure, requiring only Advil for postoperative pain control. His experience offers a unique surgeon-as-patient perspective on careful diagnosis, trust, recovery, and the ongoing evolution of motion-preserving spine care.

Full article: https://www.adrspine.com/resources/press/spinal-neurosurgeon-dr-todd-lanman-resumes-operating-five-days-after-his-12th-spine-surgery

08/18/2026

Spinal fusion stabilizes, but it doesn’t always deliver the results patients came in looking for.

Fusion eliminates motion at the treated level, and while this can address instability, it also places additional stress on adjacent segments of the spine. Over time, this added stress can contribute to further degeneration above or below the fused level.

For select patients who continue to experience pain, stiffness, or limited function after fusion, fusion reversal is possible, allowing the fused segment to be revised and replaced with a motion-preserving artificial disc.

Consultation with a spine specialist experienced in revision surgery is the first step toward determining what's possible.

08/17/2026

08/17/2026