PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Mark A. Plantz
AU  - Erik B. Gerlach
AU  - Wellington K. Hsu
TI  - Synthetic Bone Graft Materials in Spine Fusion: Current Evidence and Future Trends
AID  - 10.14444/8058
DP  - 2021 Apr 22
TA  - International Journal of Spine Surgery
PG  - 8058
4099  - http://ijssurgery.com//content/early/2021/04/21/8058.short
4100  - http://ijssurgery.com//content/early/2021/04/21/8058.full
AB  - Historically, iliac crest bone autograft has been considered the gold standard bone graft substitute for spinal fusion. However, the significant morbidity associated with harvesting procedures has influenced decision-making and practice patterns. To minimize these side effects, many clinicians have pursued the use of bone graft extenders to minimize the amount of autograft required for fusion in certain applications. Synthetic materials, including a variety of ceramic compounds, are a class that has been studied extensively as bone graft extenders. These have been used in combination with a wide array of other biomaterials and investigated in a variety of different spine fusion procedures. This review will summarize the current evidence of different synthetic materials in various spinal fusion procedures and discuss the future of novel synthetics.