المملكة: A Saudi medical achievement… developing an innovative brace to treat diseases of the neck vertebrae

A Saudi medical team has succeeded in achieving a new medical achievement that adds to the Kingdom’s record, consisting of the consultant spine surgeon at the Medical City at King Saud University, Amr Fayez Al-Habib, the consultant pediatric surgeon at the same university, Ayman Hassan Al-Jazairi, and the consultant spine surgeon at King Abdulaziz Medical City. In the National Guard, Sami Ibrahim Al-Issa, innovating an advanced medical technology represented in developing a specialized brace that facilitates the treatment of diseases of the neck vertebrae.
The team performed the first precise operation after years of research and development, using the new stent for a 40-year-old man who was suffering from a narrowing of the nerve canal in the neck vertebrae, which led to numbness and weakness in the hands and difficulty in balance and walking, in addition to severe neck pain. The results after the operation showed a noticeable improvement in the patient’s condition, as neck pain disappeared and the ability to walk normally returned.

A new medical breakthrough

The developed technology is superior to the latest international methods used in this field, as it contributes to facilitating the surgical procedure and reducing associated complications, which previously required performing two operations from the front and back, which increases the chances of complications occurring and increases the recovery period.
The development of the surgical stent took about 7 years, as the team moved between multiple stages from the idea to the primary and secondary designs, in addition to manufacturing multiple models of the device and conducting the necessary analyzes and tests to ensure the highest standards of safety and effectiveness. The team obtained a license from the Saudi Food and Drug Authority to use the device clinically. This will be the first locally innovative precision device to obtain this license.

health care

The team also obtained two patents from the US Patent Office, and is currently working on marketing the device globally in cooperation with specialized medical companies. A Dutch company contributed to producing the final designs, while the parts were manufactured with the help of German companies specialized in this field.
The achievement is the beginning of the transformation of the concept of achievements in health care into medical achievements that are beneficial to patients, with the possibility of marketing them globally and achieving economic returns. The team hopes to successfully market the device in cooperation with an international medical company, especially in light of the approval it has received from international experts in spine surgery. Which enhances the Kingdom’s competitiveness in this field.
The team expressed its thanks for the great and continuous support provided by the Medical City at King Saud University, which contributed greatly to achieving this achievement and many other therapeutic and research achievements.