Do mesenchymal stem cell allografts really promote fusion better? 5 key notes

Spine

The first non-industry sponsored study to examine fusion rates for live mesenchymal stem cell-containing allogenic bone grafts was published in The Spine Journal.

These bone grafts account for 17 percent of all bone grafts and bone graft substitutes used in spine surgery, according to the report. The researchers sought to see if the radiographic fusion rate at one- and two-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion was higher with mesenchymal stem cell allografts.

 

There were two matched cohorts of 57 patients who underwent one- or two-level ACDF procedures from 2010 to 2012. The fusion constructs included an interbody allograft, anterior plate and Osteocel from NuVasive. Half of the cases in both cohorts were single-level and half were two-level instrumented ACDF.

 

The researchers found:

 

1. One year after surgery, 87.7 percent of patients had a solid fusion.

 

2. In the control group, 94.7 percent of patients experienced a solid fusion.

 

3. Seven patients — 12.3 percent — in the Osteocel cohort had failed fusions one year after surgery.

 

4. There were no significant differences for patients with varying ages, gender, comorbidity burden or body mass index.

 

5. The researchers concluded, "Although not statistically significant, patients treated with MSC allografts demonstrated lower fusion rates compared to a matched non-MSC cohort."

 

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