The size of your Cervical Artificial Disc Replacement makes a difference.

Dr. McConnell implanting larger sized Mobi-C implant at C6-7 level

Cervical artificial disc replacement is an excellent alternative to the traditional treatment of fusion for one or two herniated discs in the neck.  Artificial disc replacement in the cervical spine preserves normal motion between vertebrae allowing the neck to move in a more natural way.  Several recent long-term follow-up studies have demonstrated that patients treated with cervical disc replacement have higher rates of overall clinical success when compared to patients treated with fusion.

Mobi-C cervical artificial disc replacement

One of the goals of cervical artificial disc replacement is to match, as closely as possible, the dimensions (or ‘footprint”) of the disc being replaced.  The cervical discs you’re born with vary in shape and size from person to person, men and women, and by their level in the neck. Filling as much of the disc space and covering as much of the vertebral body end plate as possible helps prevent subsidence (settling) of the artificial disc and the likelihood of bone growing around the replacement disc, which restricts its movement.  That’s why it’s important that a surgeon choose an artificial disc that most closely matches the size of the patient’s natural cervical disc.  There are 6 different cervical artificial disc replacements available commercially and the decision of which disc to use for a particular patient is often determined by the range of sizes offered by the manufacturer.

Zimmer-Biomet, maker of the Mobi-C cervical disc replacement, recently increased the number of sizes available for the Mobi-C. Specifically, the company is now offering a 17 x 17 mm and a 17 x 19 mm footprints which will allow a better fit for mostly male patients requiring disc replacement surgery at C5-6 and/or C6-7.

Lateral x-ray of the cervical spine showing new, larger sized 17 x 17 mm Mobi-C implant at C6-7 (lower level)

Dr. McConnell was the first surgeon in the United States to successfully implant the 17 x 17 mm Mobi-C cervical artificial disc.  His patient was a 45 year old male suffering with two pinched nerves in his neck due to herniated discs at C5-6 and C6-7.  Dr. McConnell was pleased at how well he could match the size of the patient’s disc space with the new larger sized Mob-C: “Having the right size implant for my patients is important to the long-term outcome of their cervical disc replacement surgery.”

As the use of cervical artificial disc replacement grows, Dr. McConnell predicts custom designed, digitally printed, implants that fit each patient’s unique anatomy are the next evolution in artificial disc replacement.

Learn more about cervical artificial disc replacement.