PLIF surgery with titanium-coated PEEK or uncoated PEEK cages: a prospective randomised clinical and radiological study

Klaus John Schnake, Nikolai Fleiter, Christoph Hoffmann, Andreas Pingel, Matti Scholz, Alexander Langheinrich, Frank Kandziora

January 2021, Volume 30, Issue 1, pp 114 - 121 Original Article Read Full Article

First Online: 22 October 2020

PLIF surgery with titanium-coated PEEK or uncoated PEEK cages: a prospective randomised clinical and radiological study

Purpose

This study aimed to compare clinical results and fusion rates of uncoated polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cages with titanium-coated PEEK cages in posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) surgery.

Methods

A prospective randomised study including 60 patients with one- or two-segment lumbar degenerative diseases. Patients received either titanium-coated PEEK cages (group A) or uncoated PEEK cages (group B). Fusion rates were evaluated on plain X-rays and CT scans after 6 and 12 months. Clinical follow-up (visual analogue scale, VAS; Oswestry Disability Index score, ODI; EQ-5D) was performed for 24 months.

Results

Fifty-five patients (92%) (36 female, 19 male) had a complete follow-up. There were no statistically significant differences in demographic, peri- or intraoperative data between groups A and B. ODI, VAS and EQ-5D improved significantly (p

Conclusions

PEEK and titanium-coated PEEK cages for PLIF produce equally favourable clinical and radiological results up to 24 months post-surgery. The fusion rate was not different.

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