Systematic Review of Bioactive Glass Cages in Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion

Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is a standard procedure for cervical degenerative pathologies, typically using allograft or polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cages. Bioactive glass (BG) cages have emerged as a novel interbody option with osteoconductive and bioactive properties. This review aimed to compare clinical and radiological outcomes between BGC cages and traditional graft options (allograft or PEEK) in ACDF.

This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to compare BG and traditional techniques. PubMed and Google Scholar were queried for studies comparing BG and traditional methods. Studies that were non-English or focused on pediatric patients were excluded. Visual analog scale (VAS)-neck, VAS upper extremity (UE), Neck Disability Index (NDI), and computed tomography (CT) fusion rate were recorded. All meta-analyses were conducted using STATA 18.0, College Station, TX, USA.

Our final review included 9 studies with 542 patients: 235 treated with BG and 307 with traditional methods (allograft or PEEK). There was no statistically significant difference between BG and control groups in improvement in neck pain (g = 0.00; 95% CI -0.19 to 0.18; P = 0.98) or UE pain (g = -0.15; 95% CI -0.42 to 0.11; P = 0.26). Similarly, there were no significant differences in postoperative neck VAS scores (g = 0.26; 95% CI -0.02 to 0.55; P = 0.07) or postoperative UE VAS scores (g = 0.05; 95% CI -0.22 to 0.31; P = 0.72). There was no significant difference between groups in NDI improvement (g = 0.12; 95% CI -0.30 to 0.54; P = 0.58) or postoperative NDI scores (g = 0.30; 95% CI -0.04 to 0.64; P = 0.08). Analysis showed that CT-confirmed fusion rates were comparable between groups, with no statistically significant difference observed (OR 1.12; 95% CI 0.72-1.76; P = 0.62).

All studies reported comparable clinical and radiological outcomes for BG compared with traditional methods for cages in ACDF. Outcomes, including VAS, NDI, CT fusion, and interspinous motion, were similar. Only 9 studies have been performed so far; thus, additional research is necessary to establish BG as a compelling alternative to traditional techniques.

Bioactive glass cages demonstrate comparable clinical and radiographic outcomes to traditional cage materials in ACDF, suggesting they may be considered as an alternative graft option. However, the limited number of available studies and lack of high-level evidence constrain definitive clinical adoption.