In the U.S. the prevalence of symptomatic cervical disc disease was estimated at 1.1 million people in 2012, with over 266,000 cervical procedures performed each year. For those who suffer from pain related to a herniated disc, one of the traditional surgical options would be a fusion. In a fusion surgery, the disc is removed and either a bone spacer or a plastic implant will be placed in the disc space to restore disc height and remove pressure on the pinched nerves or spinal cord. A metal plate and screws can be placed on the front of the neck to hold the implant in place. The result of this procedure will be a segment that no longer moves, or is “fused”. The potential downside of a fusion procedure, in addition to the loss of motion, is that it can create additional stress on the spinal levels above and below it. This can cause degeneration at those levels and potentially result in another future surgery.
A Cervical Fusion Alternative Is Here
The physicians at Institute of Spinal Disorders utilize an artificial disc option instead called Mobi-C. Mobi-C is an FDA approved cervical replacement disc that is designed to allow the neck to maintain normal motion and potentially prevent the adjacent levels from degenerating, possibly preventing future surgeries. Additionally, with Mobi-C, patients also see:
Faster recovery time from surgery due to bone sparing technique, which eliminates the need for bone chiseling and drilling
Reduced degeneration rates of adjacent cervical segments
Greater improvement from disability
Faster return to work-and life-than traditional fusions
Are You a Candidate?
Mobi-C is not appropriate for all patients, however if you are experiencing arm pain and/or neurological symptoms such as weakness or numbness with or without neck pain at one or two adjacent levels from C3 – C7 in the cervical spine, you may be a candidate for this procedure. For more information on Mobi-C or to make an appointment, please call our office at 817-288-0084.
