Could Allograft Bones Combined with Poly-Ether-Ether-Ketone Cages or Titanium Mesh Cages be an Alternative Grafting Method in the Management of Cervical Spinal Tuberculosis?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of allograft bones combined with poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK) cages or titanium mesh cages (TMCs) in the management of cervical spinal tuberculosis. METHODS: A total of 16 patients with cervical spinal tuberculosis who underwent anterior debridement, reconstruction with allograft bones combined with PEEK cages or TMCs, and anterior plate fixation between 2013 and 2016 were retrospectively studied. Neck pain, neurologic status, operating time, intraoperative blood loss, cervical spine alignment, bony fusion, and self-reported clinical outcomes were reviewed. RESULTS: Six patients underwent 1 level reconstruction using PEEK cages and 10 patients received TMCs reconstruction. Patients received a mean follow-up time of 45.9 +/- 13.1 months. Neck pain was greatly relieved, as visual analog scale scores decreased from 4.6 +/- 1.3 preoperatively to 0.7 +/- 0.5 at the final follow-up (P < 0.05). Neurologic status was improved in all patients with neurologic deficits, with 9 patients improving by 1 grade and 1 patient by 2 grades. Kyphosis angle was corrected from 1.3 +/- 12.0 degrees preoperatively to -5.4 +/- 10.2 degrees post-operatively (P < 0.05) and remained at -3.6 +/- 9.6 degrees at the final follow-up (P < 0.05). Bony fusion was achieved in all patients, with a mean time to the fusion of 3.8 +/- 1.3 months. There was no implant failure or signs of cervical spinal tuberculosis recurrence. Excellent results, good results, and fair results were reported in 37.5%, 56.25%, and 6.25% of patients, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Allograft bone combined with PEEK cages and TMCs could bring about favorable clinical results in patients with cervical spinal tuberculosis. This method could be an alternative to autologous bone grafting method in the management of certain cases.