The first procedure with the Simplify cervical artificial disc has been completed by three spine surgeons of Texas Back Institute in Plano.
Richard Guyer, MD, performed the procedure with the help of Scott Blumenthal, MD, and Jack Zigler, MD.
The Simplify disc, developed by Simplify Medical, received FDA approval for one-level use in September. It is designed for MRI compatibility, physiologic motion and anatomical height-matching.
"The Simplify disc offers unique benefits of lower height discs, as well as virtually distortion-free [MRI] imaging" and "will improve clinical outcomes for patients undergoing treatment for cervical disc disease," Dr. Guyer said in a Dec. 16 news release.
The implant is CE Marked in Europe and is being examined for two-level indications in an investigational device exemption study in the U.S.