About Spinal Fusion

Lumbar spinal fusion has become a standard for spinal stabilization. Various techniques and approaches have evolved, but all are predicated on well-established fusion principles. These principles include, thorough disc removal, proper endplate preparation, and placement of a critical mass of bone graft material in contiguous contact with the vertebral bodies.

Diagram showing Typical Cage Contact within Biologic Void, and Typical Cage Area of Non-ContactIssue

A universal challenge surgeons face during many lateral fusion procedures is the lack of graft-to-end plate contact during cage placement. Vertebral endplates are usually concave, while the contact points of the cage are typically flat. This results in a gap in surface area between the bone graft and endplate. This area of non-contact is called the “biologic void”.

In order to overcome this gap, surgeons have traditionally relied on powerful and expensive biologic products to increase the chances for fusion to occur.

Diagram showing optimal biologic volume and maximized biologic contactSolution

Using patented InFill technology, the surgeon can safely inject supplemental bone graft material into the cage after implantation to fill the biologic void, and achieve complete endplate-to-endplate contact of the bone graft. Due to the ability to fill the biologic void, many surgeons who use the InFill system require less expensive biologics to achieve a robust fusion.