Three-Dimensional Printed Anterior Cervical Standalone Combined Cage-Plate-300 Consecutive Medical Implants

Area of Science:

• Spinal Surgery
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Orthopedic Technology

Background:

• Anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion (ACDF) is a common procedure for cervical spine pathologies.
• Traditional fusion methods involve allograft spacers and anterior plates, with varying success rates.
• Novel implant designs aim to improve fusion rates, stability, and patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the perioperative parameters and clinical outcomes of a novel 3D-printed titanium interbody spacer with integral screws for ACDF.
• To compare the survivorship of this 3D-printed spacer against polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK) and traditional allograft spacers with anterior plates.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study of 157 consecutive patients (300 surgical levels) undergoing ACDF with the 3D-printed titanium spacer.
• Data collected included surgical time, blood loss, hospital stay, neurologic scores (American Spinal Injury Association), and Neck Disability Index (NDI).
• Survivorship was defined by the absence of failures, revision surgeries, instrumentation removal, or subsidence requiring surgery.

Main Results:

• The 3D-printed spacer group showed a 97.4% survivorship rate, which was significantly higher than the control group (93.3%).
• Patients reported significant improvements in neurologic function and NDI scores post-surgery.
• Perioperative parameters such as surgical time and blood loss were within acceptable ranges for ACDF procedures.

Conclusions:

• The novel 3D-printed titanium spacer with integral screws is a safe and effective option for ACDF, demonstrating improved survivorship.
• This implant offers comparable or superior outcomes to traditional methods, with no observed cases of neurologic progression.
• The study highlights the potential of 3D-printed technology in advancing spinal fusion techniques.