Utility of Expandable Interbody Cages in Open Transforaminal Interbody Fusions: A Comparison With Static Cages

Background Expandable interbody cages, while popular in minimally invasive fusions due to their slim profile and increased ease of insertion, have not been widely explored in open surgery. The benefits of expandable cages may also extend to open fusions through their potential to achieve a greater restoration of lumbar lordosis while minimizing intraoperative complications. To highlight these benefits, we present a case series of adult spinal deformity (ASD) patients treated with an open transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) using expandable cages and compare outcomes to those of patients treated with static cages from the literature. Methods A retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent a deformity correction procedure and TLIF with expandable interbody cages at Brigham and Women's Hospital between 2018 and 2022 was conducted. Patient demographics, complications, and pre- and postoperative radiographic parameters of spinopelvic alignment were collected. A literature search was completed to identify studies employing static cages. T-tests were performed to compare postoperative changes in radiographic parameters by cage type. Results Forty-five patients (mean age of 62.6 years) with an average of 2.1 cages placed met the inclusion criteria. Patients experienced five intraoperative complications and 23 neurologic deficits (from minor to major), while nine patients required a revision operation. Lumbar lordosis increased by 9.8° ± 14.5° (p < 0.0001), the sagittal vertical axis (SVA) decreased by 25.5 mm ± 56.7 mm (p = 0.0048), and pelvic incidence-lumbar lordosis mismatch decreased by 13.3° ± 17.5° (p < 0.0001) with the use of expandable cages. Expandable cages yielded similar changes in lumbar lordosis to 15° and 8° cages but improved the lumbar lordosis generated from rectangular and 4° cages. When compared to static cages, expandable cages mildly reduced intraoperative complications. Conclusions Expandable interbody cages are an effective means of restoring spinopelvic alignment in ASD that have the potential to improve patient outcomes in open fusions compared to standard static cages. Especially when compared to rectangular and 4° static cages, expandable cages provide a clear benefit in the correction of lumbar lordosis. The impact of open spinal fusions with expandable cages on outcomes should continue to be explored in other cohorts.