Medical Device Link .

A monthly review of new technologies and medical device innovations Exploring Innovative Treatment Options for Degenerative Disk Disease New Analytical Technique Could Provide Tools for Assessing Parkinson's Disease Patients New Implants Offer Relief of Spinal Pain A normal vertebral disk represents a complex structure between the bones of the spine. The nucleus, sandwiched in the center of the disk, contains fluid that serves as a cushion. Layered collagen fibers of the adjacent annulus provide strength. When the components of a healthy disk work together, they give the back both stability and flexibility. But when a disk deteriorates or gets damaged, the cushion can deflate, bulge, or leak, and the collagen loses its elasticity. Pain is often intense, especially when nerves get caught in the degenerative process. To relieve the acute pain and strengthen the spine in such cases, fusion is a commonly used surgical treatment. Typical methods entail placing metal implants, such as plates, rods, or screws, into the vertebrae to immobilize that portion of the spine. The procedure can often involve the use of fusion cages to help new bone growth to complete the fusion process. Approximately 150,000 cervical fusion procedures are performed in the United States alone, with a growth rate of approximately 20% annually. In April, the BAK/C Cervical Interbody Fusion System from Sulzer Spine-Tech (Minneapolis) became the first cervical interbody fusion device to receive marketing approval from FDA. The company previously introduced the first lumbar interbody fusion device, according to Sulzer Spine-Tech. The cylindrical titanium alloy implant is designed to be placed between any of the third to seventh cervical vertebrae to provide immediate stability and promote fusion between vertebral bodies. According to Rich Lunsford, Sulzer Spine-Tech president, "Most surgeons prefer to use bone harvested from the patient in cervical spinal fusion procedures. Due to its unique