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Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Is bone grafting right for me?

    This is a decision that is best made based on a discussion with your orthopedic surgeon or your physician. The pros and cons should be discussed with your physician based on your individual case. The decision you make should be based on all available information so you and your physician can determine if a bone graft is the right choice for your circumstance.

  2. Why do I need a bone graft?

    Bone grafts are used where there are large gaps to be filled between the viable bone in order for healing to take place. If the surgeon determines this is needed, they will recommend it. There can be many reasons why you would need a bone graft, but they could include fractures or the requirement for spinal fusion.

  3. What is bone remodeling?

    Throughout our lifetimes, our bones are constantly remodeling. That is, the old bone is removed (resorption) and new bone added (ossification) where needed. Bone is added depending on the functional and mechanical demands of skeletal loading. Bone is removed where it is not needed and added where it is. Over the course of an average lifetime, the skeleton is ‘replaced’ seven times as a result of bone remodeling.

  4. What is the bone graft material?

    There are several.

    Autograft: the patient’s own bone that is taken out during the surgery. It is harvested from the pelvis or elsewhere in the body, and as a result has the potential for complications.

    Allograft: this is bone donated from a cadaver. This bone acts like a scaffold during your bone’s regeneration. Although the risk of disease transmission from the donor is small, it remains a possibility that must be considered.

    Demineralized Bone Matrix (DBM): this is a type of allograft. The quality of the bone material can vary depending on the donor.

    Synthetic Bone Graft Substitute:
    Synthetic (or artificial bone) refers to bone-like material created in a laboratory that can be used in bone grafts to replace human bone that was lost due to severe fractures, disease or trauma.

    Although using a patient's own bone has traditionally been the gold standard for spinal fusion, science and technology have increased the number of synthetic graft options. Using these graft alternatives can essentially eliminate the potential problems associated with harvesting bone from a donor site, such as post-operative pain or infection, and rates of fusion are quite acceptable using these alternative methods.

  5. Do I have risk of diseases from bone graft material?

    Not from synthetic bone graft substitutes or your own bone. As stated in 4 above, with allografts and DBMs, there is a chance of disease transmission from the donated bone.

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