Artificial Cervical Disc Preserves Neck Motion

A next-generation artificial disc for adult patients with pain or spinal cord injuries allows motion in the neck following an operation.

The Medtronic (Dublin, Ireland) Prestige LP Cervical Disc is approved to treat skeletally mature patients with cervical disc disease caused by nerve or spinal cord compression at two neighboring levels between the C3-C7 segments of the neck, as an alternative to anterior cervical discectomy with fusion (ACDF). Indications include intractable arm pain and/or a neurological deficit with or without neck pain; myelopathy due to abnormality localized to the level of the disc space; and at least one of the following conditions: nucleus pulposus, spondylosis, and visible loss of disc height as compared to adjacent levels.

The Prestige LP Disc is implanted using an anterior approach following discectomy at one level or two contiguous levels. The low profile disc has a ball-and-trough design that allows it to move in a range of motions, including bending, rotation, and translation. It is made of a titanium ceramic composite which provides improved wear resistance while retaining the mechanical, biocompatible, and imaging benefits of the base titanium alloy. The Medtronic Prestige LP Cervical Disc has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) conditional at 1.5 and 3 Tesla.

“Medtronic is committed to elevating spine care by combining innovative new technologies with clinical evidence,” said Doug King, senior vice president and president of Medtronic's spine division. “The Prestige LP Disc is a superior alternative to ACDF and an important motion-preserving option for physicians treating certain patients suffering from two-level cervical disc disease.”

“For my active patients with cervical disc disease at two adjacent levels, I want to preserve motion in their necks,” said orthopedic surgeon Jeff McConnell, MD, of Lehigh Valley Hospital (Allentown, PA, USA). “I choose to use the Prestige LP Disc at two levels because it provides superior clinical outcomes at 24 months and the titanium ceramic composite material allows post-op assessment and visualization by MRI.”

ACDF involves the removal of a cervical disc herniation (discectomy) through an anterior approach with concomitant surgical decompression, thus relieving spinal cord or nerve root pressure and alleviating corresponding pain, weakness, numbness and tingling. Fusion surgery is done at the same time as the discectomy in order to stabilize the cervical segment.

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