Structural allograft may be superior to intervertebral cages in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, according to a study in Spine.
Three things to know:
1. The researchers retrospectively analyzed 6,130 patients registered in the PearlDiver national database through Humana Insurance from 2007 to 2016. All ACDF patients with anterior plating who were active in the database for at least one year were included in the study.
2. The allograft group included 4,063 patients; the cage group included 2,067 patients.
3. Overall nonunion rates were significantly higher in the cage group — 5.32 percent — than in allograft group — 1.97 percent.