Local tissue of the lumbar spine response to titanium plate--screw system. Case reports.
METHODS
This study reported the histopathologic findings of peri-implant tissue harvested from two patients with titanium plate-screw fixation in the lumbar spine.


OBJECTIVE
To describe and discuss the histopathologic findings with regard to local tissue response to the titanium plate-screw system in the lumbar spine.


BACKGROUND
There are no reports about local tissue of the lumbar spine response to titanium plate-screw system in the literature.


METHODS
Two patients who underwent titanium plate-screw fixation in the lumbar spine were evaluated for this study. Histopathologic evaluation of the specimens from these cases included soft tissue, bone, and cartilage from the areas around the screws and plates.


RESULTS
The primary histopathologic changes of the two cases included fibrous scarring, accumulation of metallic debris, both free in the fibrous tissue and within macrophages, and mild histiocytic and epithelioid changes.


CONCLUSIONS
The histopathologic findings of the two cases presented resulted in local tissue response of the lumbar spine to titanium similar to tissue response in other previously reported cases.
Xu
R
R
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Medical College of Ohio, Toledo, USA.
Ebraheim
N A
NA
Nadaud
M C
MC
Phillips
E R
ER
D000368:Aged; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D001706:Biopsy; D001860:Bone Plates; D001863:Bone Screws; D005260:Female; D006622:Hip Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D007720:Knee Prosthesis; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D014025:Titanium
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D014025:Titanium