rest against the base plate of an upper vertebra a lower apposition plate spaced apart from the upper apposition plate and suitable to rest against the base plate of a lower vertebra a plurality of elastic devices mounted between the two apposition plates and in their peripheral zones in a manner that the two apposition plates shall be displaceable in mutually resilient manner and a central axis which runs essentially perpendicularly to the two apposition plates the elastic devices being designed configured in a manner that the intervertebral disc prosthesis as a whole exhibits asymmetrical stiffness application_number US 21959005 A description the intervertebral disc prosthesis shown in fig1 through 3 consists of an upper circular apposition plate 1 suitable to come to rest against the base plate of a vertebra further of a lower annular apposition plate 2 which is appropriate to come to rest against the cover plate of a vertebra further two intermediate plates 6 which are configured between the two apposition plates 1 2 and which are also circular all plates being mounted perpendicularly to a common central axis 5 a total of eight elastic devices 3 in the form of rings 3 a 3 h are configured between the two circular apposition plates 1 2 and said devices run radially to the central axis 5 their annular plane being perpendicular to the apposition plates 1 2 in order that the intervertebral disc prosthesis be held together the upper apposition plate 1 is connected to the adjacent.