Anterior cervical stabilization using a semi-constrained cervical plate and titanium mesh cage for single level...

Area of Science:

• Spine surgery
• Orthopedic implants
• Cervical spine reconstruction

Background:

• Anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion is a common procedure for cervical spine instability.
• Titanium mesh cages and semi-constrained plating are used for reconstruction.
• Optimal cage size for anterior cervical stabilization remains under investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate treatment outcomes of anterior 1-level cervical corpectomy using titanium mesh cages and semi-constrained plating.
• To compare outcomes between 10-mm and 13-mm diameter cages.
• To assess bony fusion and radiological outcomes in cervical spine reconstruction.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 20 consecutive patients undergoing anterior cervical corpectomy.
• Patients were divided into two groups: 10-mm cage (n=10) and 13-mm cage (n=10).
• Radiographic and CT scan evaluations assessed bony fusion and construct integrity.

Main Results:

• 95% of patients achieved bony consolidation at an average follow-up of 14.8 months.
• Overall construct failure rate was 25% (5/20 patients).
• The 13-mm cage group showed a significantly higher failure rate (40%) compared to the 10-mm cage group (10%) (P=0.085), primarily due to cage settling and screw-plate failure.

Conclusions:

• Anterior cervical stabilization with titanium cages and semi-constrained plating demonstrates favorable fusion rates.
• Larger cage diameter (13-mm) may be associated with increased implant failure.
• Further biomechanical and prospective studies are needed to confirm the impact of cage size on implant failure in cervical spine surgery.