Evaluation of the contact surface between vertebral endplate and 3D printed patient-specific cage vs commercial cage.

Biomechanical study. To evaluate the performance of the contact surface for 3D printed patient-specific cages using CT-scan 3D endplate reconstructions in comparison to the contact surface of commercial cages. Previous strategies to improve the surface of contact between the device and the endplate have been employed to attenuate the risk of cage subsidence. Patient-specific cages have been used to help, but only finite-element studies have evaluated the effectiveness of this approach. There is a possible mismatch between the CT-scan endplate image used to generate the cage and the real bony endplate anatomy that could limit the performance of the cages. A cadaveric model is used to investigate the possible mismatch between 3D printed patient-specific cages and the endplate and compare them to commercially available cages (Medtronic Fuse and Capstone). Contact area and contact stress were used as outcomes. When PS cage was compared to the Capstone cage, the mean contact area obtained was 100 ± 23.6 mm and 57.5 ± 13.7 mm, respectively (p < 0.001). When compared to the Fuse cage, the mean contact area was 104.8 ± 39.6 mm and 55.2 ± 35.1 mm, respectively(p < 0.001). Patient-specific cages improve the contact area between the implant and the endplate surface, reducing the contact stress and the risk of implant subsidence during LIF surgeries.