The use of titanium surgical mesh-bone graft composite in the anterior thoracic or lumbar spine after complete or partial corpectomy

Various conditions such as fracture, dislocation, tumor, or infection adver sely affect the vertebral body and lead to instability. Restoration of a st able anterior column is essential for normal spinal biomechanics. Various b iological and mechanical spacers have been used to reconstruct the anterior column after corpectomy. In this retrospective review, the authors evaluat ed clinical charts and radiographs of 13 patients receiving titanium surgic al mesh (TSM)-bone graft composite to reconstruct the anterior spinal colum n in the thoracic or lumbar region. The objective of this review was to eva luate the stability and efficacy of the TSM-bone graft composite in the ant erior spine after a complete or partial corpectomy. Sixteen patients with i nvolvement of the thoracic or lumbar vertebral column after trauma, tumor, or infection underwent partial or complete corpectomy. In all patients the anterior defect was reconstructed using a TSM-bone graft composite. Three p atients died within 12 months postoperatively due to primary malignant proc ess. Thirteen of 16 patient charts and radiographs were evaluated for anter ior fusion status, settling of the TSM-bone graft composite, and hardware f ailure. No pseudoarthroses were noted. Evidence of solid anterior fusion wa s noted in all patients. The average settling of the TSM-bone graft constru ct was 3 mm. All patients presenting with only pain and no neurological sym ptoms (n = 9) experienced early pain relief. For patients presenting with n eurological symptoms (n = 4), the recovery was complete in three and partia l in one. No patient was made neurologically worse, and there were no vascu lar injuries intra- or postoperatively. The study suggests that TSM-bone gr aft composite offers excellent biomechanical stability in the immediate pos toperative period, permitting progressive maturation of the fusion mass.