MORPHOLOGY OF THE LUMBAR INTERTRANSVERSE PROCESS FUSION MASS IN THE RABBIT MODEL - A COMPARISON BETWEEN 2 BONE-GRAFT MATERIALS-RHBMP-2 AND AUTOGRAFT

We used computed tomography and the rabbit model to seek an explanatio n for the biomechanical superiority of recombinant human bone morphoge netic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) as compared with autogenous iliac bone in lu mbar intertransverse process fusions, i.e., the rhBMP-2 fusions demons trated significantly higher strength and stiffness. The results show t hat the fusion masses using rhBMP-2 have higher volume, and higher min imum contact area of fusion mass attachment to the transverse process. For both bone graft materials there was a correlation between site of failure and the fusion mass quadrant that contained the minimum conta ct area of attachment to the transverse process. The ideal graft mater ial would be one that produced strong, mature, early fusions that fail ed along their length at random positions, rather than failing with hi gh frequency at the transverse process. The fusions using rhBMP-2 were nearer to the ideal than those using autograft: These were stronger, more mature, and only 6 of 9 rhBMP-2 failed in the quadrant that conta ined the minimum contact area of attachment to the transverse process, as opposed to 11 of 12 for autograft.