New Strategies in Enhancing Spinal Fusion.

The biologic steps involved in creating a bony fusion between adjacent segments of the spine are a complex and highly coordinated series of events. There have been significant advancements in bone grafts and bone graft substitutes in order to augment spinal fusion. While autologous bone grafting remains the gold standard, allograft bone grafting, synthetic bone graft substitutes, and bone graft enhancers are appropriate in certain clinical situations. This article provides an overview of the basic biology of spinal fusion and strategies for enhancing fusion through innovations in bone graft material.
Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: Yoshihiro Katsuura, MD, Karim Shafi, MD, Chelsie Jacques, BS, Sohrab Virk, MD, MBA, declare that they have no conflict of interest. Sravisht Iyer, MD, reports personal fees from Globus Medical, outside the submitted work. Matthew Cunningham, MD, PhD, reports material support from DePuy Synthes, outside the submitted work.
(© Hospital for Special Surgery 2020.)