Computers in biology and medicine
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In lumbar interbody fusion, a porous additive manufactured (AM) cage can provide more desirable stiffness, and may be beneficial to bone ingrowth. The biomechanical influence of porous cages on stability, subsidence, and facet contact force has not been fully described. The aim of this study was to verify biomechanical effects of porous cages. ⋯ Compared among three FP cages, the stresses in cage and endplate decreased with increasing porosity, whereas ROM increased with increasing porosity. FJF for various cages was substantially reduced compared to the intact model in all motion modes except for flexion. In summary, fully porous cages with a porosity of between 65% and 80% may offer an alternative to solid PEEK cages in TLIF.