2022, Vol. 26 ›› Issue (18): 2817-2822

3D printed porous titanium alloy fusion cage and autologous iliac bone in the treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy

Ji Linsong1, Wang Yanping2, Lu tingsheng1, Jia Yijia1, Luo Chunshan1   

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The most commonly used bone graft material for anterior cervical fusion surgery is autologous iliac bone, but the incidence of complications is high. In recent years, 3D printed fusion cages have become an ideal bone graft material for anterior cervical surgery because of their large contact area, good mechanical properties and biocompatibility, and elastic modulus similar to that of a vertebral body.   
OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of 3D printed porous titanium trabecular bone fusion cage and autologous iliac bone in treating cervical spondylotic myelopathy.
METHODS: From January 2011 to January 2020, sixty-five patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (38 males and 27 females) underwent anterior decompression and fusion in the Guizhou Orthopedic Hospital. Twenty-eight cases were treated with 3D printing titanium trabecular fusion and plate internal fixation (trial group).   Another 37 cases were treated with autogenous iliac bone graft and internal fixation (control group). At 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery, the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, the height of the fusion segment, and the Cobb angle of the fusion segment were evaluated.   
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) After 12-month follow-up, the incisions in the two groups of patients healed in the first intention. There were three and two cases of throat pain and dysphagia in the trial group and the control group after surgery, respectively. There were no internal fixation complications such as plate breakage, cage withdrawal, or subsidence. In the control group, three cases affected bone graft subsidence. (2) All 65 cases completed bony fusion within 6-9 months. There was no significant difference in JOA score, intervertebral height, and segment Cobb angle between the two groups (P > 0.05). (3) It is concluded that during anterior cervical interbody fusion for the treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy, 3D printed fusion cages and autogenous iliac bone grafts have achieved good results.
Key words: cervical spondylosis, titanium alloy brabeculae, autogenous iliac bone, bone graft fusion, anterior cervical interbody fusion, intervertebral space height,‍ cervical curvature‍