Carbon fibre/polyether ether ketone (CF/PEEK) implants in orthopaedic oncology

Radiation therapy is an important therapeutic element in musculoskeletal tumours, especially when encountering multiple or painful lesions. In osteolytic lesions, a surgical stabilization with implants is often required. However, metallic implants not only complicate the CT-based planning of a subsequent radiation therapy, but also have an uncontrollable dose-modulating effect in adjuvant radiotherapy. In addition, follow-up imaging and the diagnosis of local recurrences are often obscured by metallic artefacts. Radiolucent implants consisting of carbon/polyether ether ketone (CF/PEEK) therefore facilitate adjuvant radiation therapy and follow-up imaging of bone lesions. We hereby present clinical cases with application of CF/PEEK implants in orthopaedic tumour surgery.

We report a single-centre experience of three selected patients with surgical stabilization of osteolytic bone lesions using CF/PEEK implants. Detailed information about the clinical presentation, preoperative considerations, surgical procedures and postoperative results is provided for each case.

One spinal lesion (T12 vertebral body), one lesion of the upper extremity (humerus) and one of the lower extremities (tibia) were surgically stabilized with use of CF/PEEK implants. With a mean follow-up of 12 months (range 6–25 months), no adverse events were observed. Two patients received adjuvant radiotherapy. Follow-up imaging was obtained in all patients.

The applicability of CF/PEEK implants in orthopaedic tumour surgery is good with respect to postoperative follow-up imaging, application of adjuvant radiotherapy and intraoperative handling. As a result of the unique material properties, oncological patients might particularly benefit from CF/PEEK implants.