Use of Carbon Fiber Implants to Improve the Safety and Efficacy of Radiation Therapy for Spine Tumor Patients
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Current standard of care treatment for patients with spine tumors includes multidisciplinary approaches, including the following: (1) surgical tumor debulking, epidural spinal cord decompression, and spine stabilization techniques; (2) systemic chemo/targeted therapies; (3) radiation therapy; and (4) surveillance imaging for local disease control and recurrence. Titanium pedicle screw and rod fixation have become commonplace in the spine surgeon's armamentarium for the stabilization of the spine following tumor resection and separation surgery. However, the high degree of imaging artifacts seen with titanium implants on postoperative CT and MRI scans can significantly hinder the accurate delineation of vertebral anatomy and adjacent neurovascular structures to allow for the safe and effective planning of downstream radiation therapies and detection of disease recurrence. Carbon fiber-reinforced polyetheretherketone (CFR-PEEK) spine implants have emerged as a promising alternative to titanium due to the lack of artifact signals on CT and MRI, allowing for more accurate and safe postoperative radiation planning. In this article, we review the tenants of the surgical and radiation management of spine tumors and discuss the safety, efficacy, and current limitations of CFR-PEEK spine implants in the multidisciplinary management of spine oncology patients.
Source: Brain Sciences
Authors: Fred C. Lam, Santosh Guru, Deyaldeen AbuReesh, Yusuke S. Hori, Cynthia Chuang, Lianli Liu, Lei Wang, Xuejun Gu, Gregory A. Szalkowski, Ziyi Wang, Christopher Wohlers, Armine Tayag, Sara C. Emrich, Louisa Ustrzynski, Corinna C. Zygourakis, Atman Desai, Melanie Hayden Gephart, John Byun, Erqi Liu Pollom, Elham Rahimy, Scott Soltys, David J. Park, Steven D. Chang
Institutions: Stanford Medicine, Stanford University
Language: English
Subfield: Surgery
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,654
OpenAlex ID: W4407578112