Early subluxation and failure of a stand-alone cervical integrated plate–spacer device

The study was regarding a case of early failure and subsidence of a stand-alone ACDF cage with integrated plate after implantation into the cervical spine. The objective of the study was to highlight a previously unreported complication of a stand-alone interbody plate–spacer device and to review the literature pertinent to the topic. Despite the common utilization of integrated plate–spacer devices, there is little data on long-term radiographic alignment and sagittal balance of these devices. In this study, a clinical case of a patient who developed catastrophic early failure after placement of an integrated plate–spacer device at C6–7 is seen. A healthy 43-year-old man developed catastrophic failure of the inferior endplate of C7 with development of kyphosis and instability. The report highlights a previously unreported complication of a stand-alone ACDF cage with integrated plate.