A study recently published in Spine compares arthrodesis rates between patients undergoing single-level minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion with Actifuse or recombinant bone morphogenetic protein-2.
The researchers examined 52 patients randomized into two cohorts either receiving Actifuse combined with 5 mL of bone marrow aspirate or 4.2 mg of rhBMP-2. The researchers found that one year after surgery 65 percent of the Actifuse cohort and 92 percent of the rhBMP-2 cohort showed radiographical arthrodesis.
The patients also reported improvement in visual analogue scale scores in both groups. Pseudoarthrosis rates were 35 percent for Actifuse and 7.7 percent for rhBMP-2 at one year postoperatively. The researchers also noted higher reoperation rates among the Actifuse patients.
The researchers concluded, "Additional analysis of Actifuse and other graft enhancers/extenders are needed prior to the utilization for an MIS TLIF."
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