Abstract
Introduction
Anterior cervical microdiskectomy and fusion with an intervertebral cage is a widely accepted procedure for the treatment of herniated cervical disc. Traditional titanium or simple plastic implant materials can limit implant performance below optimal needs: in some indications, legacy materials can be too stiff, in others not strong enough. Spinal implants constructs should not be so stiff that over time the implant works against bone's natural renewal. The Osta-Pek composite biomaterial satisfies the needs of cervical arthrodesis with motion preservation and because of the intrinsic radiolucency permits a simple and reliable radiological follow-up.
Materials and Methods
We operated on 54 patients (24 males and 30 females) with a mean age of 56.7 years (ranging from 26 to 65 years) at our institution. The mean follow-up was 6 months. We evaluated patients with to end points: clinical outcome (according to Odom criteria) and radiological “fusion” (fusion rate and motility).
Results
A total 75 cage in Osta-Pek were implanted in 32 single-level and 22 two-level procedures (one patient in two-level group had an Osta-Pek cage at one level and a Mobi-C prosthesis). Six months after surgery, there was radiographic evidence of fusion in 92% (69/75) of implants. According to Odom criteria, all patients experienced good to excellent functional recovery with preservation of cervical motility. There was any space disc collapse/pseudoarthrosis phenomenon. We experienced complications related to anterior cervical microdiskectomy in 6/54 (11%) of patients including 4 cases of transitory vocal cord paresis, 1 case of Bernard-Horner syndrome, 1 case of subfascial hematoma, and 2 cases of crashed cage during arthrodesis (evacuated in the first 24 hours).
Conclusion
The clinical and radiological results suggest that the carbon composite Osta-Pek frame cages are safe and effective alternative to autologous bone graft and other type of cages after anterior cervical discectomy for treatment of degenerative cervical disease
None declared
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