Titanium versus polyetheretherketone implants for vertebral body replacement in the treatment of 77 thoracolumbar spinal fractures

BACKGROUND Titanium and polyetheretherketone (PEEK) implants have been used in spinal surgery with low rejection rates. Compared to titanium, PEEK has many advantages, including a density more similar to that of bone, radiolucency, and a lack of artifacts in computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of PEEK cages as an alternative to titanium for bone fusion after fractures of the thoracolumbar spine. We also propose a classification to the impaction index. METHODS We evaluated 77 patients with fractures of the thoracic or lumbar spine who were treated by anterior fixation with titanium cages (TeCorp®) in 46 (59.7%) patients or PEEK (Verte-stak®) in 31 (40.3%) patients from 2006 to 2012 (Neurological Hospital of Lyon). RESULTS The titanium group achieved 100% fusion, and the PEEK group achieved 96.3% fusion. The titanium systems correlated with higher impact stress directed toward the lower and upper plateaus of the fused vertebrae; there were no nonunions for those treated with titanium group. Nevertheless, there was only one in the PEEK group. There was no significant difference in the pain scale outcomes for patients with ±10 degrees of the sagittal angle. Statistically, it is not possible to associate the variation of sagittal alignment or the impaction with symptoms of pain. The complication rate related to the implantation of cages was low. CONCLUSIONS Titanium and PEEK are thus equally effective options for the reconstruction of the anterior column. PEEK is advantageous because its radiolucency facilitates the visualization of bone bridges.