Comparison of stand-alone polyetheretherketone cages and iliac crest autografts for the treatment of cervical degenerative disc diseases

Anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF) is a widely accepted surgical procedure for the treatment of cervical degenerative disc diseases. This retrospective study was designed to analyze and compare the efficacy and outcomes of anterior cervical fusion using stand-alone polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cages and autogenous iliac crest grafts with the anterior cervical plating system. A total of 72 consecutive patients suffering from cervical degenerative disc diseases treated with ACDF from June 2005 to Dec 2008 were enrolled in the study. Patients in group A (40 patients, 64 segments) had anterior interbody fusion with stand-alone PEEK cages and patients in group B (32 patients, 51 segments) with autogenous iliac crest graft combined with anterior plate fixation. The operative time and intraoperative blood loss were recorded. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scoring system; cervical lordosis, intervertebral height, and cervical fusion status were assessed on X-ray and computed tomography. The mean follow-up period was 17.3 months in the stand-alone cage group and 23.2 months in the autologous iliac crest graft group. The operative time and intraoperative blood loss in group A were much less than those in group B (p < 0.05). All the patients in both groups got complete interbody fusion. Postoperative JOA scores in both group A and group B were more than the preoperative ones with significant differences, and the improvement rate of JOA scores had no statistical differences between group A and group B. Postoperative cervical physiological curvature and intervertebral height in both groups were better than the preoperative ones with statistical significances. The stand-alone PEEK cage is a good substitute for fusion in patients with cervical disc disease; it can effectively restore the cervical physiological curvature and the intervertebral height, facilitate radiological follow-up, cause few complications, and leads to satisfactory outcomes.