UC San Diego Health performs world’s first custom anterior cervical spine surgery
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- UC San Diego Health made history last month during an anterior cervical spine surgery.
The health system became the first in the world to perform the procedure using a fully personalized implant designed for a patient’s unique anatomy.
The anterior cervical spine surgery, which is one of the most common spine procedures, involves making an incision in the front of the neck, removing a damaged disc and fusing the adjacent vertebrae together.
A standard artificial disc, or traditional implant, is placed in the space where a damaged disc has been removed, according to UC San Diego Health. Traditional customized implants are created through advanced imaging, artificial intelligence (AI) and 3D printing.
"Every spine is unique, just like a fingerprint," said Joseph Osorio, MD, PhD, associate professor of neurological surgery at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and neurosurgeon at UC San Diego Health. "With this technology, we can create an implant specifically for each patient, instead of asking their body to adapt to a standard device. It’s a fundamental shift in how we approach complex spine surgery."
UC San Diego Health claims the new technological approach allows for more precise spinal alignment, reduced surgical complications and faster recovery times for those suffering from conditions like spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, or spinal deformities.
"This is the first step in a larger transformation," Osorio said. "We envision a future where every implant, whether for the spine, hip, or knee, is made for one person, not mass-produced for everyone."
