MRI compatible, experimental disc prosthesis for cervical disc herniation surgeries
The Simplify Disc is a product of Simplify Medical, a San Francisco-based medical device manufacturing company, which is currently under clinical testing supervised by the American FDA (Food and Drug Administration).
The product can be used in surgeries for herniated discs between the C3 and C7 cervical vertebrae when artificial replacement of the disc is necessary. Similar, non-traditional prostheses are made from metal alloys, and in their case, evaluation of the tissues adjacent to the disc is only possible for the patient through invasive CT imaging. In contrast, the Simplify Disc is fully compatible with the patient-safe magnetic resonance (MRI) procedure, meaning the patient does not need to be exposed to the significant radiation dose of CT scans after its application.
The Simplify Disc – which has already been implanted in more than 2000 patients – is made using the most advanced materials, fundamentally consisting of improved medical polymer endplates and a freely moving ceramic core between them. The design of the prosthesis ensures that the range of motion of the patient suffering from a herniated disc remains similar to the pre-surgery state.
