Combination Ti/PEEK ALIF cage for anterior lumbar interbody fusion: Early clinical and radiological results

Ralph Jasper Mobbs*, Kevin Phan, Yusuf Assem, Matthew Pelletier, William R. Walsh

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

41 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) is a common procedure for patients with degenerative pathologies of the lumbar spine. In this study, the clinical and radiological outcomes of a combination titanium/polyetheretherketone (Ti/PEEK) ALIF cages in one, two and three-level surgery were evaluated. Over an 18-month time period, a prospective single surgeon series of 20 implants (15 patients) were included in the study, with minimum 10-months follow-up. From these 15 patients, two were supplemented with posterior percutaneous pedicle screw fixation for additional stability. Radiological follow-up with fine cut CT scan at 9–12 months was performed to evaluate early fusion rates, and integration of the Titanium/PEEK cage at the endplate junction. 20 implants were followed for a minimum of 10 months, and a mean of 15 months. A 95% (19/20 implants) fusion rate with no implant related complications was achieved at the mean 15-month postoperative mark. Patients experienced statistically significant improvement in pain and functional outcomes (SF12 and ODI) compared to their pre-operative status. A single patient with a non-union at L5/S1 (smoker) did not experience any improvement in symptoms. A Ti–PEEK cage, with allograft and BMP-2 to achieve interbody fusion is an effective implant for use in anterior lumbar surgery with high fusion rates, no lucency around the titanium endplates at follow-up, and with promising early results.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)94-99
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of Clinical Neuroscience
Volume34
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2016
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • ALIF
  • Biphasic calcium phosphate
  • PEEK
  • Synthetic graft
  • Titanium

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Combination Ti/PEEK ALIF cage for anterior lumbar interbody fusion: Early clinical and radiological results'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this