M6 Cervical vs ProDisc

[mmglobal]

I just copied the 3 previous posts from another thread. (I didn't want the M6 discussion to get buried in a very long thread about something else.)

To continue, the soft core of the M6 does promise to provide some shock absorption. Intuitively, that seems to be a great idea. We do have 22 shock absorbers in our spine and it remains to be proven how important getting some cushion at the ADR levels will be. I expect that it will be like most of the other features we see with all the devices... there will be some advantage, and some disadvantage. Will it break down faster? Will it change shape? Wear particles and their effects? I don't know the answers to these questions.

It's tough to sort out the marketing spin from the important features. The keeled devices keep the prosthesis from rotating, but if the cleated devices don't rotate, how important is that? There are advantages and disadvantges to keels and cleats, but my point is, the discussion about arresting rotational forces is not relevant to us as patients... but it's effective marketing.

Mark