Manmade spinal discs hold promise for back patients

Healthcare Purchasing News, Feb, 2004

After decades of research into alternatives to spinal fusion as a treatment far chronic back pain, U.S. surgeons are testing manmade discs that relieve the aches without sacrificing mobility. In what analysts call the "next big thing" in the $3 billion spinal market, companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic Inc., Swiss implant maker Synthes-Stratec and privately held SpineCore are racing to develop artificial discs for the neck and lower back.

It has taken researchers years to design a disc that can withstand pressure and preserve mobility. Finding materials that the body will tolerate also has been problematic. Current models are made from metal or metal and plastic. Johnson & Johnson hopes to gain U.S. regulatory clearance by the end of this year for its plastic and metal disc designed for the lower back. The device has been available in Europe for a decade, but early plastic generations sometimes broke down inside the body. Medtronic said U.S. trial results expected in one to two years will determine how many patients get disc implants, predicting that one out of five patients will qualify. For now, with U.S. clinical trial results still to come, Merrill Lynch analyst Daniel Lemaitre projected the U.S. market for artificial discs to be worth $25 million in 2005 and $100 million in 2006.