Researchers examined 12 human cadaveric lumbar spine segments (T12-L3 and L4-S1) in compression, flexion-extension, bilateral lateral bending and bilateral axial torsion. They found that the highest screw strains were bending, while the lowest screw strains were derived from the shear and axial gauges.
PEEK constructs attained higher interbody strains than Ti constructs, whereas the Ti construct screw strains were higher in most tests. There was no difference in planar motion at any level and the tests showed a trend toward decreased caudal intradiscal pressure for Ti constructs in compression.
Read the abstract for “The Mechanical Effect of Commercially Pure Titanium and Polyetheretherketone Rods on Spinal Implants at the Operative and Adjacent Levels.”
Read other coverage on spine surgery studies:
– Study: Reduced Pain in Patients Receiving Spinal Fusion Last Into Adulthood
– Minimally Invasive Decompression Revision Rates Higher for Scoliosis Patients
– Study: Vertebroplasty Effective in Some Compression Fracture Patients
