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Current status of bone graft options for anterior interbody fusion of the cervical and lumbar spine

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Abstract

Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) and anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) are common surgical procedures for degenerative disc disease of the cervical and lumbar spine. Over the years, many bone graft options have been developed and investigated aimed at complimenting or substituting autograft bone, the traditional fusion substrate. Here, we summarise the historical context, biological basis and current best evidence for these bone graft options in ACDF and ALIF.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia

    Anthony Minh Tien Chau & Johnny Ho-Yin Wong

  2. Faculty of Medicine, University of NSW, Sydney, Australia

    Lileane Liang Xu & Ralph Jasper Mobbs

  3. Department of Neurosurgery, Spine Unit, Prince of Wales Hospital, Suite 7a, Level 7, Barker St, Randwick, NSW, 2031, Australia

    Ralph Jasper Mobbs

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  1. Anthony Minh Tien Chau
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  2. Lileane Liang Xu
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  3. Johnny Ho-Yin Wong
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  4. Ralph Jasper Mobbs
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Correspondence to Ralph Jasper Mobbs.

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Richard Lochhead, Phoenix, USA

Chau et al. submit a review article entitled “Current status of bone graft options for anterior interbody fusion of the cervical and lumbar spine.” The authors present a comprehensive review of bone graft options in anterior spinal surgery. Despite a lack of original content, this article has good clinical application, can help direct appropriate treatment, and may provide direction for future research and development. The best bone graft option is not known despite thousands of anterior spinal fusions performed annually. This article independently summarizes each graft and includes a literature review, basic scientific evidence, and financial cost for each graft option. The authors should be congratulated for their work.

Bernhard Meyer und Sandro Krieg, Munich, Germany

In this review, Chau et al. give an overview on anterior interbody fusion of the cervical and lumbar spine by paying special attention to the different options for bone grafts. Due to well-known problems at the donor site, the use of autografts is declining parallel to the expanding variety of alternative options including osteogenic, osteoconductive, osteoinductive, and osteopromotive grafts. Noteworthy is that almost all studies reported a considerably high rate of fusion, which is nicely outlined in the overview tables. Moreover, besides the very important information on the underlying biology of the different graft types, data are provided on the existing level of evidence. In conclusion, this review offers highly useful data for every spinal surgeon, and its publication is therefore welcomed.

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Chau, A.M.T., Xu, L.L., Wong, J.HY. et al. Current status of bone graft options for anterior interbody fusion of the cervical and lumbar spine. Neurosurg Rev 37, 23–37 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10143-013-0483-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10143-013-0483-9

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