Dr. Todd Lanman - Lanman Spinal Neurosurgery

09/12/2026

What happens when the treatment a patient needs doesn’t fit neatly within the limitations of conventional medicine?

This case of Flat Neck Syndrome highlights an important conversation we need to be having in spine surgery.

Medicine cannot always be one-size-fits-all. Some of the most complex patients require us to think beyond traditional treatment pathways and consider carefully selected, evidence-informed off-label approaches when clinically appropriate.

“Off-label” does not mean experimental or unsafe. It means a treatment or device is being used outside of its specific FDA-approved labeling based on a physician’s clinical judgment, the individual patient’s pathology and an informed discussion of risks, benefits and alternatives.

This is central to what I call Restorative Motion Surgery—looking beyond simply decompressing or stabilizing the spine and asking whether we can restore alignment, preserve motion and reconstruct more natural biomechanics.

For the right patient, that distinction can be life-changing.

In this case study, I explain the pathology, the limitations of conventional treatment options and why an individualized motion-preserving approach was considered.

We should never treat an X-ray or an insurance policy. We treat the individual patient in front of us.

— Todd H. Lanman, MD

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.

08/19/2026

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.spine.md/insights/press/dr-todd-lanman-returns-surgery-five-days-12th-spine-procedure/

08/17/2026

The future of spine surgery is motion preservation.

The FDA approval of the BAGUERA® C Cervical Disc for one- and two-level cervical disc replacement represents another important step forward for patients and surgeons seeking alternatives to fusion.

With nearly two decades of international clinical experience, BAGUERA C adds another well-studied option to the growing field of cervical arthroplasty. What makes this disc particularly interesting is its guided mobile core, designed to allow six degrees of movement while supporting more natural biomechanics and limiting excessive stress on the facet joints.

As implant technology and clinical evidence continue to advance, we are moving closer to a future in which preserving motion—and restoring more natural spinal function—becomes the standard whenever patient anatomy and diagnosis allow.

I’ve dedicated my career to advancing artificial disc replacement, and it is gratifying to see the field continue to evolve with new technologies that expand our ability to personalize care and improve long-term outcomes.

Congratulations to the Spineart team on this important milestone.

08/13/2026

Discogenic low back pain occurs when one or more spinal discs become a source of chronic pain.

While MRI imaging can reveal disc degeneration, determining which disc is actually responsible for a patient's symptoms can be challenging.

Researchers continue to study new technologies that may help improve this process.

Dr. Todd Lanman and Dr. Joel Beckett are participating in the CLARITY Trial, a clinical research study evaluating whether NOCISCAN® can help improve surgical outcomes for patients with discogenic low back pain.

Learn more about the study and eligibility requirements through the link below.

Participation is voluntary and eligibility criteria apply. NOCISCAN® is being evaluated as part of an ongoing clinical research study and is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to diagnose painful discs or determine surgical treatment.

https://www.spine.md/insights/press/clarity-trial-disc-related-low-back-pain/

08/12/2026

08/12/2026

Is there an age limit for artificial disc replacement?

When FDA clinical trials were originally conducted, lumbar artificial disc replacement studies enrolled patients ages 18 to 60, while cervical studies included patients up to age 65. Those age ranges reflected clinical trial design—not necessarily the limits of who may benefit from motion-preserving surgery.

Drawing on decades of experience, Dr. Todd H. Lanman believes candidacy should be determined by the individual patient rather than age alone. He has successfully performed cervical artificial disc replacement in patients up to age 88 and lumbar artificial disc replacement in patients up to age 84. The most important considerations are overall spinal health, the condition of the facet joints, bone quality, and whether the patient's anatomy is appropriate for a motion-preserving procedure.

As people remain healthier and more active later in life, carefully selected older adults are increasingly benefiting from artificial disc replacement and returning to the activities they enjoy.

08/06/2026

Dr. Todd Lanman and Dr. Joel Beckett are participating as investigators in the CLARITY Trial, a clinical research study evaluating whether NOCISCAN®, an MRS-based software tool, may help improve surgical planning for individuals with disc-related low back pain.

The clinical study is designed to evaluate whether
NOSISCAN® can can help improve surgical outcomes for patients with discogenic low back pain.

If you are considering surgery for chronic disc-related low back pain, you may be interested in learning more about the study and whether participation may be appropriate.

Learn more about the CLARITY Trial and eligibility requirements at this link below.

Participation is voluntary and eligibility criteria apply. NOSISCAN® is being evaluated as part of an ongoing clinical research study and is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to diagnose painful discs or determine surgical treatment.

https://www.spine.md/insights/press/clarity-trial-disc-related-low-back-pain/

07/30/2026

It’s gratifying to see Becker’s Spine Review recognize 15 surgeons who have helped advance motion preservation in spine surgery. Looking through the list, I see longtime colleagues who helped build this field and a newer generation of surgeons who are carrying it forward.

Twenty years ago, artificial disc replacement and motion preserving spine surgery were still emerging. Over the years, we have learned an enormous amount about implant design, spine biomechanics, alignment, patient selection, and long-term outcomes. That progress has come from surgeons willing to question established approaches, study new technologies carefully, and share what we learn with one another.

There is still more to understand, but it is gratifying to see the field continue to grow rapidly and in the hands of these esteemed surgeons. I’m proud to be part of a community committed to preserving motion and improving the options we can offer our patients.

https://www.beckersspine.com/spine/15-spine-surgeons-leading-the-motion-preservation-movement/

07/24/2026

Replacing a failed artificial disc doesn't always mean fusion.

This 57-year-old patient traveled overseas for a lumbar artificial disc replacement using a viscoelastic-core implant that is not approved in the United States. Over the next three years, his pain progressively worsened until nearly every movement became symptomatic.

A comprehensive evaluation revealed multiple contributing factors, including implant malposition, poor osseous integration, and untreated degeneration at two additional lumbar levels.

Because his facet joints remained healthy, we were able to remove the failed implant and reconstruct all three symptomatic levels with motion-preserving lumbar artificial disc replacements rather than performing a multilevel fusion.

Six weeks after surgery, his pain improved from 9/10 to 2/10. A spinal injection that had been scheduled was ultimately no longer necessary because his symptoms had resolved.

Every revision begins with one question: What caused the original surgery to fail?

A failed artificial disc should not automatically lead to fusion. In appropriately selected patients, revision arthroplasty can restore function, preserve motion, and address the underlying pathology while avoiding the biomechanical consequences of fusion.