Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion in PEEK Oblique Cages With and Without Titanium Coating

"Randomized Evaluation of Bone Ingrowth After Intervertebral Body Fusion With Either MectaLIF® PEEK or MectaLIF® TiPEEK Oblique"

Clinical outcome with regard to oswestry disability index and lumbar fusion rate after implantation of titanium coated PEEK cage and common PEEK cage

Cages made of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and titanium materials reliably produce successful fusion rates and good clinical outcomes. However, there is a paucity of studies that have assessed the optimal material of cage systems. The primary objective of this study was to compare the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) after instrumented transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) using either titanium-coated polyetheretherketone (TiPEEK) or common PEEK cages. Secondary objectives were to assess differences in fusion rates and differences in pain and in quality of life between these groups.

Inclusion Criteria:

Persistence of

• low back pain,
• sciatica and
• spinal claudication after conservative treatment attributed to L3 to L5 lumbar segments.

Exclusion Criteria:

• previous lumbar spinal surgery
• body mass index >35 kg/m²