ORTHOPEDIC SPINE
Cervical Disc Replacement
Simplify Cervical Disc is designed to treat conditions and symptoms associated with cervical disc compression, herniation and/or degeneration while preserving motion of the cervical spine.
Cervical disc degeneration between the vertebrae (the small bones that form the spinal column) begins to wear. This adds stress to the discs, nearby joints, muscles, and nerves. It may also cause pain, tingling, numbness, and/or weakness in the neck and/or arms.
Implant Design
Disc height options are designed to closely match the patients; healthy disc spaces.
Implant Materials
Simplify Cervical Disc’s combination of PEEK (medical-grade plastic) endplates with titanium coating and a ceramic core is nickel-free.
These materials allow for imaging after surgery using magnetic resonance imaging* (MRI) instead of a CT scan.
Jeffrey Fernyhough MD
Orthopedic Spine Surgeon
Specializing in Cervical Spine Disc Replacement
Jeffrey C. Fernyhough, MD, is an orthopedic spine surgeon with expertise in cervical disk replacement, osteoporotic compression fractures, spinal stenosis, and herniated discs. He also specializes in nonoperative and minimally invasive approaches to spine surgery.
Orthopedic Spine
Living with bone and joint pain and complications is a real-life struggle for people just like you. With 206 bones in the human body and all the supporting ligaments, tendons, and muscles, that leaves a lot of room for things to go wrong.
Whether you have a problem that has plagued you for years or a sudden injury that needs immediate care, the medical team of TriMed Spine & Joint is here to help you sort through the problem and recommend a treatment plan that meets your needs. Our years of focused training bring you the most current techniques available, including surgical and non-surgical approaches.
We offer comprehensive orthopedic care for virtually all regions and joints of the body. From urgent care to complex, chronic cases other physicians have been unable to treat successfully, our orthopedic doctors are here to provide guidance and expertise so you can be your best.
- Cervical Laminectomy
- Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion
- Lumbar Microdiscectomy
- Minimally Invasive Axial-TLIF
- Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgeries
- Minimally Invasive XLIF
- Vertebral Kyphoplasty
Serving patients in Boca Raton, South Florida, TriMed Spine & Joint is your leader in general orthopedic care. Call our Boca Raton orthopedic care team today at…
1 (855) 4-TRIMED
Or request an appointment online to get started.
Related Procedures
Where a disc fragment needs to be removed through a very small incision, see endoscopic discectomy. For facet-mediated pain that has been confirmed by a diagnostic block, see endoscopic rhizotomy and radiofrequency ablation. Before surgical options are considered, most patients are assessed for non-surgical care including DRX9000 spinal decompression and orthopedic physical therapy.
More Questions Patients Ask
What is cervical disc replacement, and how is it different from a fusion?
A fusion removes the damaged disc and permanently joins the two vertebrae, so that level no longer moves. A disc replacement removes the damaged disc and puts an artificial one in its place, with the goal of preserving motion at that level. Both relieve pressure on the nerves; the difference is what happens to movement afterward and how much extra load is transferred to the neighboring levels.
Am I a candidate for disc replacement rather than fusion?
It depends on your anatomy and your findings. Disc replacement generally suits patients whose problem is disc-related compression at one or two levels with reasonably preserved alignment and facet joints, and without significant instability, severe osteoporosis or infection. Where the facet joints are worn out or the segment is unstable, a fusion is usually the more durable choice. This is a decision made from imaging and examination, not from preference.
Why does the implant material matter?
Material affects both how the implant behaves and how you can be imaged afterward. The Simplify Cervical Disc combines PEEK endplates with a titanium coating and a ceramic core and is nickel-free, which allows postoperative imaging with MRI rather than requiring a CT scan. Being able to use MRI afterward is a practical advantage if new symptoms ever need investigating.
What non-surgical options come first?
For most patients with neck and arm symptoms, conservative care is the starting point: chiropractic care, orthopedic physical therapy, medication and, where appropriate, epidural or facet injections. For suitable disc cases, DRX9000 spinal decompression is an option, performed at our Boca Raton office at 307 Via De Palmas. Surgery is discussed when those measures have been given a fair trial or when there is progressive neurological loss.
How do I arrange a spine surgical opinion?
Call 1 (855) 4-TRIMED and ask for a spine evaluation. Bring any MRI, CT or X-ray images and reports, along with a list of what treatments you have already tried and for how long, because that history usually determines the recommendation more than the scan alone.