Introduction:
The intervertebral fusion cage is a large, hollow cylinder made of some type of metal, usually titanium. It is designed as a "cage" so that bone graft can be placed inside the hollow cylinder to allow a spinal fusion to occur between two vertebrae. The holes that are throughout the cage allow bone to form around and through the cage connecting the two vertebrae with solid bone.

Many of the newer types of intervertebral fusion cages are also designed to allow performing the spinal fusion either using an open incision or a laparoscopic procedure. An open incision is the traditional way of performing surgery, where larger incisions are made to allow the surgeon to see where he is operating and perform the procedure. A laparoscopic procedure is performed using much smaller incisions and using a special TV camera inserted into the abdomen to allow the surgeon to see where he is operating and perform the procedure.