Biomechanical evaluation of stand-alone lumbar polyether-ether-ketone interbody cage with integrated screws.

Background Context: Stand-alone interbody cages with integrated screws potentially provide a biomechanically stable solution for anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) that alleviates the need for additional exposure for supplemental fixation, thereby reducing the chance of additional complications and morbidity.

Purpose: To compare the stability of a stand-alone anterior interbody fusion system with integrated fixation screws against traditional supplemental fixation methods and to evaluate the difference between three and four fixation screws in the stand-alone cage.

Study Design: In vitro cadaveric biomechanical study.

Biomechanical analysis in a human cadaveric model of spinous process fixation with an interlaminar allograft spacer for lumbar spinal stenosis: Laboratory investigation.

Object: Traditional posterior pedicle screw fixation is well established as the standard for spinal stabilization following posterior or posterolateral lumbar fusion. In patients with lumbar spinal stenosis requiring segmental posterior instrumented fusion and decompression, interlaminar lumbar instrumented fusion (ILIF) is a potentially less invasive alternative with reduced morbidity and includes direct decompression assisted by an interlaminar allograft spacer stabilized by a spinous process plate. To date, there has been no biomechanical study on this technique.