Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP)
Spinal fusion surgery has traditionally relied on bone grafts, which are small pieces of bone that are usually taken from the patient’s own hip or pelvis and then placed into the spaces between two vertebrae. In time, this added bone "fuses" to the vertebrae and hardens like regular bone.
These traditional bone grafts don’t always guarantee successful fusions, plus many patients report significant post-operative pain in the area where the graft was taken. Bone grafting also requires additional operating time, thus increasing surgical risks such as infection and bleeding. It also prolongs the patient’s hospital stay and recovery time.
Today, there is a new alternative to bone grafting that alleviates these problems. It is a genetically produced protein called recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2), or BMP for short. BMP, which stimulates the body to grow new bone, is a naturally occurring human protein that has been isolated and reproduced as a result of cutting edge human gene research.
By employing BMP, our surgical team can shorten surgery times, reduce complication rates, and provide quicker and less painful recovery times. Patients whose fusion surgery involved the use of BMP are able to return to their activities of daily living quicker than ever before.