December 6, 2023
A recent study found that an estimated 50% of people show signs of spinal disc degeneration by their early 20s. Another study found that more than 90% of people over age 50 have this condition.
Cervical (neck) disc degeneration is a frequent cause of neck pain and pain that radiates down the arm. Like in other areas of the spine, cervical disc degeneration develops when one or more of the gel-like discs in the vertebrae of the cervical spine start to break down due to wear and tear.
The new standard of care
For many years, the surgical standard of care for cervical disc degeneration has been spinal fusion (also called ACDF) which in most cases successfully eliminated patients’ pain but greatly reduced their neck’s range of motion.
Today, the artificial cervical disc is an excellent option for qualifying patients. Academic spine surgeons continue to research the very best in cervical disc techniques and products to provide the highest quality of care to patients. Dr. Frank Phillips, minimally invasive spine surgeon at Midwest Orthopaedics at RUSH and Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at RUSH University Medical Center, has been the principal investigator in a five-year study of a new artificial disc developed to replace a natural disc damaged by cervical disc degeneration. Called the M6-C disc, it is designed to restore motion to the spine and is an excellent alternative to cervical fusion.
Its manufacturer, Orthofix Medical Inc., a leading global spine and orthopedics company, recently announced the publication of the five-year results from the U.S. clinical study comparing the M6-C ™ artificial cervical disc with anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.
Research-backed data
Published in The Spine Journal, patients treated with the M6-C disc demonstrated superior clinical success at 60 months compared to fusion patients. Secondary findings indicated significant improvements in neck and arm pain, function, and quality of life scores.
“Publication of this data is important as it validates the strong clinical performance observed in the five-year data from the U.S. IDE study,” said Dr. Phillips. “Artificial cervical disc replacement is becoming the gold standard of care for indicated patients who may otherwise be facing cervical disc fusion. Data from this study show that the M6-C artificial disc demonstrated superior five-year achievement of clinical success when compared to fusion controls.”
To learn more, view the press release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231129606400/en/
