The Peek Prevail cervical interbody device is an implant used to treat patients who suffer from a disc disease that affects the neck (cervical spine). This device is designed to provide stability during spinal fusion, which involves joining two bones together, such as adjacent vertebrae. There are an estimated 60,000 cervical fusion procedures performed in Europe each year to relieve compression on the spinal cord or nerve roots.
Surgeons can use bone graft to restore a patient’s disc height and have traditionally covered the graft with a metal plate anchored to the spine with four screws to provide stability and prevent the bone graft from moving. The zero-profile Peek Prevail device eliminates the need for a plate and attaches to the spine using only two screws.
“With the Peek Prevail cage, you can achieve a solid fusion. When using this cage additional plating is not necessary. As this cage is easy to implant, surgery time and traction on the oesophagus is significantly reduced. I believe this is a safe and reliable cervical cage, which may contribute to a better outcome for our patients,” said Eric Put, neurosurgeon at the Jessa Hospital in Belgium.
Made of polyetheretherketone (PEEK), the new implant is invisible on X-rays, which allows the surgeon to view the spinal fusion during a follow up visit. Featuring an “I-beam” shape with a two-screw configuration, the device incorporates a Nitinol wire locking mechanism to keep the screws securely in place.
The device is indicated for use in patients with cervical disc disease from the C2−C3 disc to the C7−T1 disc and should be used with autograft and implanted via an open, anterior approach. This cervical device is to be used in patients who have had six weeks of non-operative treatment.
The Peek Prevail device was launched in Europe on 5 January 2011 and previously in USA in May 2009.
