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Orthopaedic Proceedings
Vol. 94-B, Issue SUPP_XL | Pages 178 - 178
1 Sep 2012
Bone Graft Viability: A Comparison of PEEK and Trabecular Metal Implants for Cervical Spinal Fusion in a Goat Model
Sinclair S Konz G Dawson J Bloebaum R
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Background

Synthetic interbody spinal fusion devices are used to restore and maintain disc height and ensure proper vertebral alignment. These devices are often filled with autograft bone to facilitate bone bridging through the device while providing mechanical stability. Nonporous polyetheretherketone (PEEK) devices are widely used clinically for such procedures.1Trabecular Metal devices are an alternative, fabricated from porous tantalum. It was hypothesized that the porous Trabecular Metal device would better maintain autograft viability through the center of the device, the ‘graft hole’ (GH).

Methods

Twenty-five goats underwent anterior cervical discectomy and fusion using a Trabecular Metal or PEEK device for 6, 12 or 26 weeks. The GH of each device was filled with autograft bone morsels harvested from the animal at implantation. Fluorochrome labeling oxytetracycline was administered to the animals and used to determine bone viability in the device regions. Following necropsy, the vertebral segments were embedded in poly(methyl methacrylate) sectioned and analyzed using fluorescence and backscatter electron (BSE) imaging. The percent of bone tissue present within the GH was measured as a volume percent using BSE images (Fig. 1).

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