title: Evaluation of DBM/AM composite as a graft substitute for posterolateral lumbar fusion.
abstract: Demineralized bone matrix (DBM) has been investigated as a bone graft substitute for spinal fusion with less morbidity. Various carriers have been added to DBM to enhance its handling characteristics. This study investigates the spinal fusion induced by a composite of DBM and acellular dermal matrix (AM) in comparison with autologous bone in an athymic rat spinal fusion model. Single-level intertransverse process fusions were performed in 60 athymic nude rats grafted with 2 mL/kg of DBM/AM composite, AM alone, or autologous bone. Fusion was assessed at 6 weeks by radiography, manual palpation, and histology. At 6 weeks, 70% of the animals from the DBM/AM composite group exhibited complete spine fusion, whereas 35% from the autologous bone group and 20% from AM group showed bridging with some gaps. The DBM/AM composite induced a significantly higher fusion rate than both the autologous bone and AM groups (p < 0.001) in all measured parameters. The current study demonstrated that using DBM/AM composite can have more robust fusion than autologous bone at 6 weeks in an athymic rat spinal fusion model.
authors.affiliation: LifeCell Corporation, Branchburg, New Jersey 08876, USA.
authors.forename: Qing-Qing
authors.initials: QQ
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Mei-Shu
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Shih
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stock
authors.forename: Teri
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Panzitta
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Sana C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Roesch
authors.forename: Jerome
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Connor
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018775:Bone Demineralization Technique; D001857:Bone Matrix / Q000737:chemistry*; D018786:Bone Substitutes / Q000737:chemistry*; D016025:Bone Transplantation; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000166:cytology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D011859:Radiography; D051381:Rats; D011923:Rats, Nude; D013123:Spinal Fusion
chemical_list: D018786:Bone Substitutes