Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
Polyetheretherketone vs titanium cages in oncological spine surgery: Beyond mechanics toward oncological precision
Anton Denisov, Department of Orthopedic, University Hospital Mollet, Barcelona 08403, Spain
Anton Denisov, Senior Biostatistics Division, The Taylor Collaboration, San Francisco 94111, CA, United States
Author contributions: Denisov A contributed to conceptualization, methodology, formal analysis, data curation, writing - original draft preparation, writing - review and editing, supervision, and project administration.
AI contribution statement: AI tools (ChatGPT, Grammarly) have been used during preparation of the manuscript, mainly for language correction. AI was used only to help with grammar, wording, and improving readability. It was not used to create scientific content, arguments, or conclusions. One figure was created with the help of an AI tool to summarize the main concepts of the article. This figure is illustrative and does not present original data.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The author reports no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Anton Denisov, MD, Consultant, Researcher, Department of Orthopedic, University Hospital Mollet, Ronda dels Pinetons, 6-8, Barcelona 08403, Spain.
Received: March 3, 2026
Revised: April 10, 2026
Accepted: June 4, 2026
Published online: July 18, 2026
Processing time: 130 Days and 13 Hours
Revised: April 10, 2026
Accepted: June 4, 2026
Published online: July 18, 2026
Processing time: 130 Days and 13 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: In oncological spine surgery, cage selection must balance mechanical stability, fusion biology, and postoperative tumor surveillance. Titanium cages provide superior strength and osteointegration, particularly valuable in multilevel or structurally compromised reconstructions, but may impair imaging due to artifact formation. Polyetheretherketone cages allow clearer radiographic follow-up and reduced stress shielding, though their bioinert nature may limit fusion in irradiated or bone-compromised patients. Individualized implant selection - potentially incorporating hybrid technologies - remains essential to optimize both mechanical and oncological outcomes.