Extraforaminal lumbar interbody fusion for cage migration after screw removal: a case report.
The use of titanium cages for posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) has gained popularity because it offers the advantages of anterior column support and stabilization. However, cage migration into the spinal canal may have severe or disastrous consequences. Here, the authors report an unexpected case of posterior migration of fusion cages after screw removal in a patient that underwent PLIF 12 months previously. Removal of the offending cages through revision extraforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (ELIF) with percutaneous screw fixation successfully managed this complication. As far as the authors' knowledge, this is the first case report to describe this sort of complication, and cautions that care must be taken to prevent cage migration.
Department of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, Korea.
Myung Hoon
MH
Kim
Department of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, Korea.
Seok Won
SW
Kim
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Wonju Christian Hospital, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea.
Sung Hoon
SH
Kim
Department of Neurosurgery, Heori Sarang Hospital, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
Hyeun Sung
HS
Kim
Cage; Complication