Abstract

SANTOS COTO, Carlos A; RUBINO RUIZ, René; RIVAS HERNANDEZ, Rafael  and  FLEITES MARRERO, Ernesto. Use of bovine bone in cervical fusion without instrumentation. Rev Cubana Ortop Traumatol [online]. 2011, vol.25, n.1, pp. 69-79. ISSN 0864-215X.

INTRODUCTION: With the development of the medical sciences, nowadays it is a reality to perform organ grafts and the remainder is the availability, due to high demand. Search of biocompatible material, natural, synthetic or combined, may to help to solve this deficit. OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate de feasibility of bovine bone graft use in cervical intersomatic fusion. METHODS: An observational, prospective, retrospective and descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted as cases-series in 10 patients presenting with a cervical disk degenerative disease involving one or two levels where conservative treatment fails placing 14 bovine grafts designed for this end. In 13 spaces fusion was achieved, except in one where graft incorporation was not possible. It was demonstrated a disc height loss of more than 2 mm in two spaces and less than 2 mm in 11 spaces. In one of them, the necrotizing one, there was a total loss. DISCUSSION: Results obtained in our series are similar to that of other authors as regards an age rank and the number of fusions achieved. The major difference found is the loss of disk height, that in mort, is less than 2 mm (tolerable margin) when our patients are clinically asymptomatic. CONCLUSIONS: It is demonstrated the usefulness of specific design of bovine bone graft in anterior cervical disk fusion. It is recommendable the increase of mechanical resistance of axial loads in its manufacture, to avoid the loss of disk height.

Keywords : Bovine bone; intersomatic fusion; heterelogous graft.

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