Dubai Health Authority’s Rashid Hospital successfully treated 40 patients suffering from herniated cervical discs using a self-locking cage for the first time in the UAE.
Dr Abdulla Qassim, Consultant and Head of Neurosurgery at Rashid Hospital, said that the device, called a self-locking cervical spine cage, is used in surgeries to more accurately treat patients who suffer from herniated cervical discs with less post-surgery recovery time.
Dr Qassim explained that herniated discs between vertebrae contain a gel-like substance in the centre of them. The outer part of a disc is made up of fibrous cartilage that keeps the gel contained. When the fibrous cartilage tears or splits, the gel can poke out, causing the disc to become herniated.
He said that this results in the discs putting pressure on the nerves and spine.
“The patients come to the hospital with severe pain in the neck and hands due to herniated cervical spine, which can be diagnosed by an MRI and analysing the symptoms of the patient,” said Dr Qassim.
To relieve the pain and treat this permanent condition, Rashid Hospital adopted the self-locking cervical spine cage, which is made of a material called polyether ether ketone (PEEK), which is often used in implants.
“To treat the patients, we conduct a minimally invasive surgery where a 3cm incision is made in the neck to remove the herniated disc in the cervical spine and replace it with the cage.
“What’s unique about these self-locking cages is that they offer excellent fixation without the use of any screws.”
