Autologous Chondrocyte Grafting Promotes Bone Formation in the Posterolateral Spine
Sielatycki, J. Alex
Saito, Masanori
Yuasa, Masato
Moore-Lotridge, Stephanie N.
Uppuganti, Sasidhar
Colazo, Juan M.
Hysong, Alexander A.
Robinette, J. Patton
Okawa, Atsushi
Yoshii, Toshitaka
Schwartz, Herbert S.
Nyman, Jeffry S.
Schoenecker, Jonathan G.
:
2018-03-23
Abstract
Pseudarthrosis following spinal fusion remains problematic despite modern surgical and grafting techniques. In surgical spinal fusion, new bone forms via intramembranous and endochondral ossification, with endochondral ossification occurring in the hypoxic zones of the fusion bed. During bone development and fracture healing, the key cellular mediator of endochondral ossification is the hypertrophic chondrocyte given its ability to function in hypoxia and induce neovascularization and ossification. We therefore hypothesize that hypertrophic chondrocytes may be an effective bone graft alternative.