Good News for People with Neck Disc Degenerative Disease

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced in a press release that it has approved the Prestige Cervical Disc to treat one of the most common causes of neck and arm pain - cervical degenerative disc disease. The Prestige Cervical Disc can be used for current surgical treatment to remove a diseased or bulging disc in the patient's neck and for the fusion of two or more bony vertebrae. The Prestige Cervical Disc would replace the impaired natural disc.

Dr. Daniel Schultz, Director for the FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health says, "The approval of this artificial disc means that people with cervical degenerative disc disease now will have another surgical option for treating this condition. This device will help relieve pain and restore function." The Prestige Cervical Disc is made by Medtronic Sofamor Danek of Memphis, Tennessee.

The cervical spine in the neck region consists of seven bones, or vertebrae, that are separated by intervertebral discs. Those discs allow the neck to bend and rotate, but can bulge and degenerate, causing severe pain when the bones rub against one another. The Prestige Cervical Disc is the first approved artificial medical device that consists of two main pieces of stainless steel that "articulate against one another with a ball and trough." After the doctor removes the degenerative or bulged disc, the artificial disc can be attached to the vertebrae with bone screws.