[Biomechanical evaluation of titanium mesh with anterior plate fixation in anterior cervical decompression]

We have made a biomechanical evaluation of titanium mesh with anterior plate fixation in anterior cervical decompression. Six fresh cervical spine specimens (C3-7) of young cadavers were used in the biomechanical test. Subtotal vertebrectomy was performed on C5, C5-6 and C4-6. We accomplished two constructions: (1) bone graft; (2) titanium mesh with anterior plate fixation. Then their biomechanic stabilities were tested in all groups and compared with those of intact specimens. We found that titanium mesh with anterior plate fixation improved the stability of the unstable spine, showing a significant difference when compared with that of the intact group (P < 0.05). The anterior cervical interbody fusion by bone graft and the titanium mesh implantation is stabler than the intact cervical sample, and the stability decreases with the increase in number of cervical segment.