The benefit of this process is that it makes important proteins available to stimulate bone healing. Demineralized Bone Matrix (DBM)ĭBM is bone processed in such a way that the calcium in the bone is removed. although these graft materials have all three properties needed to make bone, there probably are not enough living cells to make the bone on their own, and a combined graft approach may be necessary. They are unlikely to cause tissue rejection because they are basic cells that have not differentiated into specific cell types.Ĭurrent data is promising in showing very good fusion rates, but long-term studies comparing allograft stem cells to other graft types are not yet available. Stem cells are living cells that have the ability to form bone cells and aid in the fusion.
Allograft bone comes in different shapes and sizes to fit into the area of the spine where it is needed.These are the advantages of using allografts:
Over time, the natural bone replaces the donor bone. Instead, the allograft works as a scaffold that allows the natural bone to grow through its surface. Unlike autografts taken from a patient, allografts do not form new bone. Like other organs, bone can be donated upon death.Īllografts have been used for a long time in spinal fusion surgery. This type of graft - called an allograft - is typically acquired through a bone bank. Many surgeons use bone that is harvested from a donor or cadaver. The disadvantage is that because the spinal bones are small, there is a limited amount of bone available to harvest. Like the iliac crest autograft, this graft has all the properties needed to form bone.It is the patient's own bone and, therefore, cannot be rejected.The bone is essentially recycled it is moved from an area where it is no longer needed to the area that the surgeon wants to fuse. This removed bone is often saved during the surgery and used as the graft. In some spinal fusion procedures, parts of the spinal bones are removed to relieve pressure on the nerve roots. Spinal Fusion Glossary Local Bone Autograft Your surgeon will discuss your options with you. The graft or combination of grafts that will work best for you depends on which section of your spine needs to be fused, your age, and your general health. There are many bone graft options available today. If it lacks one or more of these properties, the bone graft material must be combined with other graft materials. If a bone graft material has all of these properties, it can successfully make bone. Cells that can make bone, proteins to stimulate bone, and a scaffold to which bone can attach.Therefore, screws, rods, and/or plates are used to aid in fusion. This additional bone is called a bone graft. For bones to fuse or heal together, additional bone is needed. The basic idea is to fuse together painfulor unstable bones in the spine so that they heal into a single, solid bone. Spinal fusion is one of the most common surgeries performed in the neck or back.