Surgeon perceptions of the complications and value of threaded fusion cages as a spine fusion technique: results of a consensus survey.
BACKGROUND
Threaded cage technology has had a meteoric rise in usage. It has been touted as a procedure with low risk and minimal complications.


OBJECTIVE
To gauge the spine surgical community's general consensus regarding cage usage and its complications.


METHODS
A canvassing questionnaire regarding threaded cage usage and complications was sent to members of the North American Spine Society.


METHODS
A total of 665 doctors reported on their perception of 22,585 cages placed by the second year after pre-market approval from the Food and Drug Administration approval.


METHODS
A nonscientific canvassing questionnaire was thought to give a consensus of surgical outcome perception in a large number of caregivers with hopes of understanding general trends.


METHODS
Simple statistical measurements were used to report perceived complications by surgeons involved in performing threaded cage surgical procedures.


RESULTS
Sixty-nine percent of doctors reported at least one complication with threaded cages, but the complication incidence was low. Visceral injuries were reported in 0.1%; vascular injuries, 1.0%; cage displacement and dislodgement, 1.4%; temporary and permanent neurologic injuries, 2.25% and 0.56%, respectively; infection 0.34%; retrograde ejaculation 1.2% and revision surgery recorded for 2.7%. Those rating cages as fair to poor (16.5%) were those physicians reporting the longest experience with this technology.


CONCLUSIONS
The general consensus is that threaded cages have low complication rates and high satisfaction rates, 83.5%. The data represent a convenience sampling and is not scientific.
Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Albany Medical College, Academic Office, 1367 Washington Avenue, Suite 202, Albany, NY 12206, USA. alcsar@nycap.rr.com
Allen L
AL
Carl
John
J
Kostuik
Cameron B
CB
Huckell
Jean-Jacques
JJ
Abitbol
Morio
M
Matsumoto
Ann
A
Sieber
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D032921:Consensus; D006801:Humans; D016268:Internal Fixators; D009983:Orthopedic Equipment; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology*; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome