Stryker Tritanium PL cage displays superior bone in-growth to PEEK-only and titanium-sprayed PEEK cages

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A pre-clinical study of Stryker’s new 3D-printed, highly-porous Tritanium PL interbody cage has found that using the device can result in “statistically superior range-of-motion, bone in-growth pofile and greater average construct stiffness” in comparison to both PEEK-only cages, and PEEK cages spray-coated with titanium. The results were presented at the 2016 annual meeting of the North American Spine Society (NASS; Boston, USA).

In the ovine study, the cages were assessed for in-growth performance according to histology, micro-computed tomography and biomechanical testing in a two-level interbody fusion model.

Tritanium PL cages exhibited reductions in segmental motion and increases in construct stiffness across all three loading directions between the 8- and 16-week post-implant time points, which was not seen within the PEEK and plasma-sprayed titanium-coated PEEK cage groups (p<0.02). Furthermore, micro–CT and histological data demonstrated greater total bone volume within the Tritanium PL Cage at both 8 and 16 weeks compared to all other treatment groups (p<0.01).

The results from this study demonstrated that the Tritanium PL cages exhibited reductions in segmental motion and increases in construct stiffness across all three loading directions between the 8- and 16-week post-implant time points, which was not seen within the PEEK and plasma-sprayed titanium-coated PEEK cage groups (p<0.02). Furthermore, micro–CT and histological data demonstrated greater total bone volume within the Tritanium PL Cage at both 8 and 16 weeks compared to all other treatment groups (p<0.01).

According to Bradley Paddock, president of Stryker’s Spine division, additive manufacturing allows for the creation of a material with porous structures that resemble cancellous bone, a type of spongy bone tissue.

“Stryker’s proprietary Tritanium Technology—a novel, highly porous titanium alloy material designed for bone in-growth and biological fixation—is based on new additive manufacturing techniques pioneered by Stryker over nearly 15 years,” says Paddock.