The neck and arm pain caused by degenerative cervical (neck) disc disease may be eliminated by replacing the problem disc with a metal-on-metal artificial disc, according to the results of a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/CNS Section on Disorders of the Spine & Peripheral Nerves.
"Implanting this device in the neck may be an effective alternative to spinal fusion," said Dr. Russ P. Nockels, associate professor and vice chair, Department of Neurological Surgery, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Ill.
Nockels, who presented the findings, is principal investigator for the Loyola site, which is a participant in a national clinical trial.
"The prosthesis simulates the function of a natural cervical disc," said Nockels.
Researchers tested the disc in the laboratory for mechanical stability under extreme forces.
"The disc is strong enough to withstand sudden movement and support the head," said Nockels, chief of the Division of Neurological Spinal Disorder and director of the Spinal Cord Injury Repair Laboratory, Loyola University Health System, Maywood, Ill. "Patients are able to move their head up and down, and from side to side."
More than half of people over age 40 have cervical disc disease, characterized by degenerative changes in the upper spine.
Symptoms include pain radiating down the arm and numbness, in addition to neck pain. As a result, many people have difficulty sleeping.