June 3, 2019
For people suffering from neck or arm pain due to cervical disc degeneration, there is an alternative to spinal fusion which relieves pain and restores normal function and natural mobility to the neck.
Dr. Frank Phillips, a Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush spinal surgeon renowned for his pioneering work in artificial disc replacement, has performed disc replacement surgery on several patients suffering from disc degeneration using the novel M6-C™ artificial cervical disc. He served as a principal investigator for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) study on the M6-C device, which was recently approved for patients as an alternative to spinal fusion.
“The M6-C disc is truly a next-generation artificial disc option to patients with cervical disc degeneration,” Dr. Phillips said. “Earlier generation disc replacement devices have “ball and socket” joints that do not mimic normal disc motion or mechanics. The M6-C disc is the first artificial disc with a structure that replicates the normal disc anatomy and allows the spine to move naturally”.
The M6-C artificial disc also minimizes stress on adjacent level discs.
Featuring a shock-absorbing nucleus and tiny fibers that work together to mimic the anatomic structure of a natural disc, the M6-C device enables compression or “shock absorption” at the implanted level.
“My own experience with the M-6 disc as well as the clinical studies we have conducted, have shown excellent outcomes and mobility as compared to fusion which eliminates motion at the treated level,” Phillips said.
