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The M6-C Cervical Disk Prosthesis: First Clinical Experience in 33 Patients
Sam Thomas1, Karel Willems, Luc Van den Daelen
1Departments of *Orthopaedic Surgery†Physiotherapy, Stedelijk Ziekenhuis Roeselare, Roeselare‡Department of Electronics and Information Technology (ELIT), University College West Flanders, Ugent, Kortrijk, Belgium.
The M6-C cervical disk prosthesis shows good short-term success in primary surgeries for cervical spondylosis. However, its use in revision surgeries is linked to complications and poorer outcomes, suggesting it should be avoided in secondary cases.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Biomedical Engineering
- Neurosurgery
Background:
- Cervical disk arthroplasty (CDA) offers an alternative to spinal fusion for radiculopathy/myelopathy.
- The M6-C prosthesis is a next-generation, unconstrained implant designed for natural biomechanics.
- Potential benefits include improved clinical performance and reduced adjacent segment disease (ASD).
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the short-term clinical success rate of the M6-C cervical disk prosthesis.
- To compare outcomes in primary versus secondary (revision) cervical disk surgeries.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of 33 patients undergoing M6-C cervical disk arthroplasty.
- Preoperative imaging (CT/MRI) and postoperative X-rays were reviewed.
- Clinical outcomes assessed via Neck Disability Index, Visual Analog Scale, SF-36, and patient satisfaction surveys.
Main Results:
- Thirty-three patients were followed for an average of 17.1 months.
- Primary surgery group showed significantly better outcomes (NDI, VAS, SF-36) than the secondary surgery group.
- 87.5% of primary surgery patients reported good/excellent results; 91.7% would repeat the procedure.
- All 4 device-related complications occurred in the secondary surgery group.
Conclusions:
- The M6-C prosthesis is effective for primary cervical disk arthroplasty.
- Its use in secondary/revision surgeries should be avoided due to complications and poorer outcomes.
- Further long-term studies are needed to assess adjacent segment disease (ASD) prevention.
