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

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