Focal hypermobility observed in cervical arthroplasty with Mobi-C

In recent decades cervical arthroplasty, or cervical disc replacement, has been steadily increasing in popularity as a procedure for the treatment of degenerative pathologies of the cervical spine. This is based on an evolving body of literature that documents superior outcomes in cervical disc replacement over fusion, for both single and double level pathologies, in well selected patients. One of the more recent and popular implants currently on the market is the Mobi-C cervical artificial disc (LDR Medical; Troyes, France). In this paper we report on two cases where focal hypermobility was observed following total disc replacement using the Mobi-C cervical artificial disc. This is followed by a discussion as to potential contributing factors to this hypermobility in relation to both implant design, and operative technique, suggesting potential changes that might prevent this in future patients.