Brantigan and Steffee report the first 26 patients treated with a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer cage for PLIF, followed for 2 years. The study asks whether a rigid cage packed with autologous bone can outperform ETO-sterilized allograft in achieving radiographic fusion — tested in a population where 18 of 26 patients had already failed an average of two prior spine surgeries.
Brantigan and Steffee report the first 26 patients treated with a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer cage for PLIF, followed for 2 years. The study asks whether a rigid cage packed with autologous bone can outperform ETO-sterilized allograft in achieving radiographic fusion — tested in a population where 18 of 26 patients had already failed an average of two prior spine surgeries.