Effects of a perfusion bioreactor activated novel bone substitute in spine fusion in sheep.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of a large perfusion-bioreactor cell-activated bone substitute, on a two-level large posterolateral spine fusion sheep model.

Methods: A 50 mm long porous biphasic-calcium-phosphate bone substitute reinforced with poly(D,L-lactide) and, activated with bone marrow derived mononuclear-cells (BMNC) was used. Eighteen sheep were divided into two groups and one group (n = 9) had BMNC-activated bone substitutes and cell-free substitutes implanted.