Surgeons have historically preferred interbody spacers made of titanium because of their strength and long clinical history. But 20 years ago, everything changed with a new material called PEEK (polyetheretherketone) that appeared in the spinal market offering many advantages as elastic modulus close to bone, high biocompatibility and biostability, excellent resistance to compressive loading, and radiolucency.
For almost twenty years, PEEK replaced titanium because it has a modulus of elasticity similar to human cortical bone and for its radiolucency and has achieved a successful clinical history in load-sharing spinal applications, particularly in lumbar fusions due to their many advantages. But recently, it has been discussed the difficulties of PEEK to elicit a strong osteogenic (bone-forming) response and to form bone.The main complaint is that those cages primary act only as a spacer. As a result, many companies have developed a new generation of implants that while providing primary implant stability, at the same time promotes natural BMP production.
These two types of TLIF Cages are the following:
a) Titanium Cages: Many companies are developing a new generation of cages that while providing primary implant stability, at the same time promotes natural BMP production but solving the problems of the former titanium devices.
b) Titanium Coated PEEK cages:Recently, many companies have developed an evolution in interbody fusion technology because they are constructed of a combination of the two materials most commonly used in interbody fusion procedures: titanium and polyetheretherketone (PEEK). With the application of a thin layer of titanium to the top and bottom of each PEEK implant, the cages possess attributes of both PEEK and titanium. The osteoinductive properties of titanium encourage bone to take root directly on the implant but the titanium layer is thin enough that it does not change the radiolucency or mechanical properties of the underlying PEEK implant.
Visit https://thespinemarketgroup.com/tlif/ and learn about 28 TLIF alternatives to PEEK.
About TLIF
A transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) is performed to remove a portion of a disc that is the source of back or leg pain. Bone graft is used to fuse the spinal vertebrae after the disc is removed. TLIF provides fusion of the front and back of the lumbar spine. The front portion of the spine, called the anterior column, is stabilized by the interbody spacer and bone graft. The back portion, or posterior column, is locked in place with pedicle screws, rods and additional bone graft, alongside the backs of the vertebra.