Study: BMP Safe in Posterolateral Spine Surgery Application

A study of 1,037 patients who received recombinant bone morphogenic protein-2 to promote fusion in a posterolateral application shows the procedure is a safe and effective treatment for patients, according to a report published in Spine. Researchers reviewed medical records for 1,037 consecutive patients who underwent posterolateral spine fusion using rhBMP-2 and recorded medical complications that occurred within the three month postoperative period. The researchers also recorded BMP complications that occurred at any time postoperatively.

Thee were surgical complications in 190 (18.3 percent) of the patients, with 81 (7.8 percent) being major complications. The complications included:
•    Neurologic complications related to screw malposition in six patients
•    Epidural hematoma in three patients
•    New or more severe postoperative radicular symptoms in seven patients
•    BMP-related complications in at least one, and possibly six, patients

The study's authors note that the complication rate is significantly lower with BMPs used in this application than in studies reporting the use of BMP in anterior cervical surgeries.

Related Articles on BMP:
Study Compares Low-Dose BMP to Autograft for Spinal Fusion
Study: 85% of BMP Procedures Between 2002 and 2007 Used for Off-Label Applications
Dr. Eugene Carragee: Industry-Sponsored Reports Lack Serious Complications of BMP Use