Systematic Review of Bioactive Glass Cages in Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion

BACKGROUND: Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is a standard procedure for cervical degenerative pathologies, typically using allograft or polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cages. Bioactive glass (BG) cages have emerged as a novel interbody option with osteoconductive and bioactive properties. This review aimed to compare clinical and radiological outcomes between BGC cages and traditional graft options (allograft or PEEK) in ACDF. METHODS: This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to compare BG and traditional techniques. PubMed and Google Scholar were queried for studies comparing BG and traditional methods. Studies that were non-English or focused on pediatric patients were excluded. Visual analog scale (VAS)-neck, VAS upper extremity (UE), Neck Disability Index (NDI), and computed tomography (CT) fusion rate were recorded. All meta-analyses were conducted using STATA 18.0, College Station, TX, USA. RESULTS: = 0.62). CONCLUSION: All studies reported comparable clinical and radiological outcomes for BG compared with traditional methods for cages in ACDF. Outcomes, including VAS, NDI, CT fusion, and interspinous motion, were similar. Only 9 studies have been performed so far; thus, additional research is necessary to establish BG as a compelling alternative to traditional techniques. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Bioactive glass cages demonstrate comparable clinical and radiographic outcomes to traditional cage materials in ACDF, suggesting they may be considered as an alternative graft option. However, the limited number of available studies and lack of high-level evidence constrain definitive clinical adoption.