Two Cases of Symptomatic Posterior Migration of Interbody Cage Following Lumbar Fusion

Abstract

Abstract Instrumented surgery for degenerative lumbar spine disease is a commonly performed operation. Interbody cages filled with bone grafts have been used both as a stand-alone procedure and also as an adjunct to posterior pedicle screw fixation to aid in lumbar fusion. While hardware-related complications such as screw breakage and implant pullout have been well documented in the literature, symptomatic cage migration resulting in fresh symptoms is not that frequently described. Two cases of posterior cage migration into the spinal canal that necessitated reoperation are described, highlighting the risk factors for the same and measures that can be taken to prevent this complication.