Early Results with Threaded Spinal Cage Fusion Systems
Ely Ashkenazi, Stephen T. Onesti
Neurosurgery Depts. of Hadassah-University Hospital, Jerusalem and Montefiore Medical Center, New York
Lumbar interbody fusion is a surgical technique used to treat symptomatic lumbar disc disease. Low back disorders are the most common of the musculoskeletal disorders causing a tremendous burden of disability. One of the causes of low back pain and radiculopathy is spinal instability, which can be treated by spinal fusion. In the past year, threaded cage systems have become available for segmental lumbar fusion for degenerative disc disease. These systems offer several biomechanical advantages over traditional lumbar fusion and instrumentation techniques, and are better tolerated.
From December 1996 until June 1997 we operated and fused spines of 17 patients, using 2 different fusion systems (anterior and posterior approaches). We present our early results.