Open and minimally invasive lumbar fusion procedures have inherent procedural risks, with posterior and transforaminal approaches resulting in significant soft-tissue injury and the anterior approach endangering organs and major blood vessels.
Spinal fusion procedures can also use a competing technique that employs real bone.
Along with Infuse's approved use in one specific type of spinal fusion, doctors also use it in other types of spinal fusion procedures, something that they are free to do.
One of Medtronic's most profitable divisions — selling bone growth products used in spinal fusion procedures — faces growing pressure amid a widening criminal investigation into the company's marketing of one product and a rejection by federal regulators of another one.
A Medtronic product, when used in high doses during spinal fusion procedures, might increase patient cancer risks, according to data released Thursday at a national conference of spine surgeons.
The Army doctors had implanted Hydrosorb Mesh in spinal fusion procedures for 35 patients in an 18-month period, according to a study published in the journal Neurosurgical Focus in 2004.
The early reports led to the widespread use of Infuse for the specific type of spinal fusion for which the Food and Drug Administration had given approval and by surgeons as an "off-label" treatment in other types of fusion procedures.
The literature shows similar rates of complications between TDR and fusion procedures.
The complications are similar to those encountered with traditional interbody fusion procedures using bone grafts.
PEEK lumbar fusion rods have recently become available for use in posterior lumbar fusion procedures.
Clonal idiotypic immunoglobulins of follicular lymphomas can be isolated by somatic fusion procedures.
