Evaluating long-term construct stability in metastatic spine cancer patients with carbon fiber–reinforced polyetheretherketone instrumentation

CFR-PEEK instrumentation demonstrates excellent durability and stability in metastatic spine disease, even in patients receiving perioperative radiation therapy. Short-segment instrumentation demonstrates comparable durability to long-segment constructs while reducing operative risks and hospitalization duration. While cement augmentation has traditionally been used to enhance construct strength, the findings in this study suggest that its routine use may not be necessary in short-segment constructs; however, larger studies are needed to better understand long-term outcomes, optimize construct selection, and identify factors influencing hardware failure in this high-risk population.