Lumbar Operatively Inserted PerQdisc Artificial Implant Following Nuclectomy

Inclusion Criteria: * Patient is skeletally mature and between 21 and 60 years of age. * Patient has Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) at one or more levels between L1 and S1 * History and clinical findings suggestive of symptomatic DDD: Darkened disc on MRI in T2 weighted images Patients with at least 6 months of low back pain (location defined as the space between the lower margin of the posterior rib cage and horizontal gluteal fold) that is resistant to nonsurgical conservative therapy. * Patient has adequate disc height (\~6mm) at the level to be treated * Patient has pre-operative Oswestry Low Back Disability score of greater than or equal to 40 (0-100 scale). * Patient has pre-operative back pain VAS score of greater than or equal to 40 (0-100 scale) * Patient has received conservative, non-surgical treatment for back pain for a minimum of 6 months. * Patient has signed the approved Informed Consent Form. Exclusion Criteria: * Patient has had prior lumbar spine surgery * Spinal fusion at any level * Patient has ankylosing spondylitis or other spondyloarthropathy. * Patient has isthmic spondylolisthesis or degenerative spondylolisthesis greater than 2 mm. * Patient has congenital moderate or severe spinal stenosis or epidural lipomatosis. * Patient has significant facet disease. * Patient has had prior lumbar spine surgery * Spinal fusion at any level * Patient has any known active malignancy. * Patient has previously undergone or currently on immunosuppressive thera…