ArticleActa neurochirurgica2025
Use of carbon fiber-reinforced PEEK cages in spinal oncology patients: An institutional experience with emphasis on surgical, complication and imaging characteristics.
Article in Acta neurochirurgica, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- [Surgical management of spinal metastases].Orthopadie (Heidelberg, Germany) · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeRadiolucent carbon fiber-reinforced PEEK (CFRP) pedicle screws have improved imaging and radiation planning in spine oncology. However, these benefits are often limited by titanium cages used in combination. This study reports our initial experience using novel CFRP cages in oncologic spine surgeries, comparing their surgical feasibility, complications, and imaging performance to titanium cages.
methodsWe retrospectively analyzed 13 patients who received CFRP cages between July 2021 and May 2023. Clinical, surgical, follow-up, and imaging data were evaluated. A matched cohort with titanium cages was used to assess postoperative MRI visibility of anatomical landmarks, rated by independent reviewers.
resultsThirteen CFRP cages were implanted (mean age 61 ± 11 years; 54% female). Indications included spinal metastases (54%) and primary bone tumors. Most procedures involved the thoracic spine (62%), followed by lumbar (23%) and cervical (15%). Median instrumentation spanned 4 segments; 62% had two-staged surgeries. Three complications occurred: 1 cage dislocation (requiring revision), 1 wound infection, and 1 post-incisional hernia. Median radiologic follow-up was 74 days, with no further dislocations. Postoperative MRI showed significantly better visibility of key spinal landmarks with CFRP cages versus titanium (p < .05, Wilcoxon signed-rank test).
conclusionCFRP cages are a viable alternative to titanium in oncologic spine surgery, offering comparable usability and improved postoperative imaging. These advantages may support better radiotherapy planning and complication detection, warranting further investigation.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.