Clinical and radiologic outcomes of two types of cages used in the treatment of degenerative lumbar diseases: novel titanium cages versus peek cages

Purpose: This study reports the clinical effects of [Formula: see text]-shaped titanium cages (ReBorn Essence Z-Brace cages) and compares the clinical outcomes between [Formula: see text]-shaped titanium cages (ZTC group) and polyetheretherketone cages (PEEK cages, PK group) for the application in transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF). Methods: A retrospective and case control study with six patients using PEEK cages and four patients using ZTC was conducted. All patients underwent TLIF and had a 3-month follow-up. The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) were selected to assess the pain of low back and neurological status. The intervertebral disc height (DH) and segmental angle (SA) were also measured to estimate the radiological changes. At the 3-month follow-up, the fusion and subsidence rates were evaluated. Results: There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding the ODI and VAS scores. At the 3-month follow-up, the subsidence rates were 42% and 0% for the PK and ZTC groups, respectively; the bony fusion rates were 67% and 100% for the PK and ZTC groups, respectively. Conclusion: The study has indicated that both PEEK and [Formula: see text]-shaped titanium cages can be effective options used to treat degenerative disc disease (DDD). Moreover, the higher fusion and lower subsidence rates have revealed that [Formula: see text]-shaped titanium cages may be a better choice compared to PEEK cages for lumbar reconstruction after TLIF.