RESUMO
BACKGROUND:With the rapid development of technology, most interbody fusion cages have been applied in clinic, but some are stil in experimental stage. Al fusion cages hold their own distinct characteristics as wel as advantages and shortcomings. OBJECTIVE:To clarify the development course of interbody fusion cages and analyze their types in detail, thereby paving ways for its improvement. METHODS:A computer-based search for literatures in CNKI and PubMed databases published from January 1989 to March 2016 was performed using the keywords of“interbody fusion cage, PEEK, TMC”in English and Chinese, respectively. A total of 106 articles were retrieved and 38 articles were in accordance with the inclusion criteria. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Intervertebral fusion is a major method to treat spinal degenerative diseases. There are a variety of fusion cages in clinic, such as pyramesh, polyetheretherketone and absobable fusion cages. Implants used for fusion cages include autogenous, al ogenic and artificial bones as wel as bone morphogenetic protein. We introduce the development process of fusion cages in detail, emphasize the commonly used fusion cages and analyze its development in future. In the end, we give our opinions about the development of intervertebral fusion cages.