Abstract

FLORES KANTER, Diego Nicolás; JABIF, Alberto Javier  and  ORTIZ, Pablo Nicolás. Lumbar interbody cages: fusing means or only spacers?. Rev. Asoc. Argent. Ortop. Traumatol. [online]. 2013, vol.78, n.2. ISSN 1852-7434.

Background: Surgical fusion of the lumbar spine is a frequently used method for the treatment of painful lumbar segmental instability; currently the two instrumented fusion techniques most commonly used are posterolateral fusion with pedicle screws, and circumferential fusion by association of interbody cages. Although evidence shows that the association of intersomatic devices increases the fusion rate, most studies do not discriminate if this fusion occurs only posterolaterally, or an anterior fusion also occurs. The aim of this study is to determine if there is a true bone fusion at the level of interbody cages or if they act only as spacers. Methods: We analyzed 28 patients with lumbar spine pathology surgically treated with one level circumferential lumbar fusion from May 2007 to January 2012, using post-surgical computed tomography, to assess the presence or absence of anterior arthrodesis. A therapeutic value, descriptive, observational study was conducted (evidence level IV); by statistical evaluation, frequency analysis was performed to describe the proportion of cases with anterior fusion. Results: The fusion rate reached 92.86%; while there was no anterior radiological fusion in 7.14% of patients. Conclusions: There is a high rate of anterior fusion at the level of the interbody cages, thus demonstrating that these devices act as fusing means and not only as anterior spacers.

Keywords : Interbody cages; Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion; Computed tomography.

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