Getting PEEK to Stick to Bone: The Development of Porous PEEK for Interbody Fusion Devices.

Interbody fusion cages are routinely implanted during spinal fusion procedures to facilitate arthrodesis of a degenerated or unstable vertebral segment. Current cages are most commonly made from polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK) due to its favorable mechanical properties and imaging characteristics. However, the smooth surface of current PEEK cages may limit implant osseointegration and may inhibit successful fusion.

Intraoperative biomechanics of lumbar pedicle screw loosening following successful arthrodesis.

Unlabelled: Pedicle screw loosening has been implicated in recurrent back pain after lumbar spinal fusion, but the degree of loosening has not been systematically quantified in patients. Instrumentation removal is an option for patients with successful arthrodesis, but remains controversial. Here, we quantified pedicle screw loosening by measuring screw insertion and/or removal torque at high statistical power (beta = 0.

Anterior lumbar interbody fusion: two-year results with a modular interbody device.

Study Design: Retrospective case series.

Purpose: To present radiographic outcomes following anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) utilizing a modular interbody device.

Overview Of Literature: Though multiple anterior lumbar interbody techniques have proven successful in promoting bony fusion, postoperative subsidence remains a frequently reported phenomenon.

Biomechanical evaluation of a novel fenestrated pedicle screw augmented with bone cement in osteoporotic spines.

Study Design: Comparative biomechanical study was conducted in osteoporotic human cadaveric spines.

Objective: Determine the influence of the volume of polymethyl methacrylate injected through a fenestrated pedicle screw on the pullout strength and on the ability to safely remove the implant.

Summary Of Background Data: Pedicle screw fixation in the osteoporotic spine can be improved by the addition of bone cement.

Interbody device endplate engagement effects on motion segment biomechanics.

Background Context: Stand-alone nonbiologic interbody fusion devices for the lumbar spine have been used for interbody fusion since the early 1990s. However, most devices lack the stability found in clinically successful circumferential fusion constructs. Stability results from cage geometry and device/vertebral endplate interface integrity.

Using intraoperative electrophysiologic monitoring as a diagnostic tool for determining levels to decompress in the cervical spine: a case report.

Objective: This report describes the clinical usefulness of using intraoperative electrophysiologic monitoring as a diagnostic tool for determining levels to decompress in the cervical spine.

Methods: A 59-year-old man was experiencing intractable neck and left upper extremity pain after sustaining a second spinal injury. (The patient had previously undergone an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion at C5-C6 with plating to treat injuries from a motor vehicle accident.