An interventional study of CONDUIT Porous Titanium Spinal Cage and PROTI 360 Titanium-Coated PEEK Spinal Cage in Spinal Fusion, Lumbar Fusion and Arthrodesis, sponsored by Francis Farhadi. Active, not recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 80 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-07-06.
Sponsored by Francis Farhadi · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
The objective of this single site, randomized controlled trial is to assess and compare radiographic and clinical outcomes in patients who are to undergo lumbar interbody fusion procedures (TLIF), supplemented with pedicle screw instrumentation, using one of the following interventions:
This single-center randomized controlled trial will prospectively evaluate the safety and efficacy of porous titanium cages supplemented with a pedicle screw system as compared to titanium-coated PEEK cages currently used in routine fashion for lumbar interbody fusion procedures.
These cages are FDA approved and the study is designed to compare the outcomes of subjects receiving either implant. This study will capture clinical and radiographic outcomes on patients up to 2 years post-operatively. Both cages will be used in conjunction with milled local autograft bone generated as part of the spinal fusion procedure (no iliac crest autograft will be utilized).
This study will enroll a maximum of 108 subjects (approximately n = 54 per group), with subjects followed for a minimum of 12 months post-surgery. A total cage sample size of 108 cages (n = 54 cages per group) was calculated with a power of 80% (alpha =0.05) and based on the assumption that 55% of cages in the titanium-coated PEEK group would achieve a solid fusion by 6 months, as compared to 80% in the porous titanium group. Up to two cages may be placed in a single subject. Therefore, it is possible that the maximum number of human subjects would be 54 if all are multi-level procedures. Since there are always mixtures of single and multi-level procedures, the actual number of subjects will be closer to 80, with a maximum ceiling of 108.
These assumptions are based on prior imaging findings in patients undergoing TLIF procedures using these cages. An interim analysis is planned once, at minimum, half of the cage accrual is met. In the case early findings show a statistical difference in the primary outcome between the two cages, enrollment will be allowed to cease as investigators are unlikely to maintain clinical equipoise to continue randomizing patients. Conversely, if the interim analysis suggests that statistical significance is unlikely, the investigators will be allowed to choose to close the trial early for futility.
Randomization will occur in 4 and 6 subject blocks to ensure comparability and enhance blinding for this sample size. Subjects will be further stratified for smoking due to the significant risk it places on successful fusion outcomes.
83 studies on the registry are indexed under Ankylosis; 18 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 108 is close to the median of 99 across 34 interventional studies indexed under Ankylosis.
Browse Ankylosis studies →Francis Farhadi is the lead sponsor of 9 studies on the registry; 7 are open to participants now.
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Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Patients will be considered for inclusion if:
Exclusion Criteria:
Certain comorbidities and medical statuses may render patients ineligible for surgery, or put them at an increased risk for complications or injury by participating in the study. Therefore, patients will be excluded from enrollment if:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.
Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.
What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.
A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.
It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Corticosteroids (steroids)
Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
BMI (body mass index)
Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.
What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Investigational drug or device
A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.
It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Solid titanium spinal cage, infused with microscopic, porous canals to allow for adhesion and proliferation of bone graft factors contributing to spinal ossification, and ultimately, spinal fusion between vertebrae demonstrating instability.
Device: CONDUIT Porous Titanium Spinal Cage
Spinal cage composed primarily of a medical-grade polymer: poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK), with a titanium coating that is etched, but lacking porous features. These design features also attempt to stimulate spinal vertebrae fusion through bone-graft ossification and enhance vertebral stability.
Device: PROTI 360 Titanium-Coated PEEK Spinal Cage
Already included in arm/group descriptions.
Also known as: DePuy Synthes CONDUIT™
Already included in arm/group descriptions.
Also known as: DePuy Synthes PROTI 360º™
Brantigan-Steffee-Frasier (BSF) Fusion Scale
Graded radiographic evaluation of ossification and/or pseudarthrosis between vertebrae. The evaluation applies a three-level scale of fusion success: BSF-1: Radiographical pseudarthrosis BSF-2: Radiographical locked pseudarthrosis BSF-3: Radiographical fusion Radiographic Success: Radiographic success is defined by radiographical fusion (BSF-3) presenting bone bridges within at least half of the fusion area with at least the density originally achieved at surgery. Radiographic Failure: Radiographic failure is defined by radiographical pseudarthrosis (BSF-1 or -2)
Time frame: Six months following procedure
Oswestry Disability Index (ODIv2.1a)
Subject self-assessment survey pertaining to quality-of-life and pain measures. Scale ranges from 0-100%. The higher the percentage, the lower the quality of life and the greater the pain.
Time frame: Preoperative, three, six, twelve, and twenty-four month follow-ups.
Neurological Pain Scale for Back and Legs
Subject self-assessment survey pertaining to pain presence in legs and back. The scale runs from 0-10, with 0 indicating no pain and 10 the worst pain possible.
Time frame: Preoperative, three, six, twelve, and twenty-four month follow-ups.
PROMIS-10 Global
Patient reported survey to rate quality-of-life and pain experience throughout life of study. Initially gives a raw score for both physical and mental well-being between 4 and 20, which is converted into a T-score between 16.2 and 67.7. The T-score is directly correlated with what is being evaluated. In other words, the higher the T-score, the higher the quality of life and the lower the pain.
Time frame: Preoperative, three, six, twelve, and twenty-four month follow-ups.
Plan to share: No
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This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in Jul 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Francis Farhadi