Extrusion of expandable stacked interbody device for lumbar fusion: case report of a complication.

Abstract

A case report. We report on the device failure of a polyetherether-ketone expandable cage device with posterior migration of one of its components. Posterior migration of transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion cage devices has been reported with static devices, and ours is the first report of an expandable TLIF device failure and posterior migration of one of its components. The patient is a 30-year-old man who had previously failed 3 lumbar surgical procedures and presented for L5-S1 lumbar fusion with pedicle screws and transforaminal interbody fusion. Postoperative imaging demonstrated posterior migration of one of the failed expandable interbody components with eventual revision surgery and placement of static transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion cages. This is the first case report to describe such complication, and caution must be warranted when using these devices.