PEEK or titanium? That has been a question that surprisingly has not been extensively explored in head-to-head clinical research. Nevertheless a pair of completed studies and a third designed to randomly compare PEEK, Titanium and ceramic cages that is now under way provide some basis for comparison.
Since the late 1990s when highly pure and implantable grade of polyetheretherketone, known as PEEK-OPTIMA, gained acceptance for medical device implantation, the use of PEEK has grown to a point that it may be considered the material of choice, particularly for spinal implants.
Minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) has grown exponentially over the last decade. From 2005 to 2015, MISS has grown to nearly 45 percent of all spine cases done on an outpatient basis. This compares to approximately 5 percent in 2005, according to the Society for Ambulatory Spine surgery.
