Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) added a next-generation artificial disc to its U.S.-market offerings with FDA approval of the Prestige LP cervical disc, an updated version of the Prestige disc that was introduced in 2007.
Prestige LP, the 3rd of Medtronic’s artificial discs to make it to the U.S., won indication to treat single-level cervical disease in adult patients. The implant features screw-free fixation and is made of materials that Medtronic says are less susceptible to wear and more conducive to MRI scanning.
"Our goal was to maintain the same ball-and-trough articulation as in the original design, but to find a way to decrease the profile and use a material with improved postoperative MRI visualization," Rush University Medical Center neurosurgery department professor Dr. Vincent Traynelis said on behalf of the company. "To address these issues, the Prestige LP Disc incorporates a dual-rail fixation mechanism instead of bone screws and is made of a titanium-ceramic composite instead of stainless steel."
Prestige has been on the market outside of the U.S. since 2004, Medtronic noted.