Posterolateral lumbar spinal fusion with autogenous bone chips from laminectomy extended with OsteoSet.

BACKGROUND This study was conducted to evaluate posterolateral lumbar fusion with autogenous corticocancellous bone chips from the laminae and spinous processes extended with OsteoSet instead of cancellous bone from the iliac crest. METHODS A total of 124 patients who underwent posterior decompression and posterolateral fusion with instrumentation between May 2001 and December 2003 were analyzed retrospectively. The study population comprised 49 males and 75 females with a mean age of 66 +/- 9.5 years. In all the patients, corticocancellous bone chips from laminectomy and OsteoSet were used as the graft material. There was no cancellous bone harvested from the iliac crest. The follow-up period was 28 +/- 7.1 months. RESULTS The overall union rate was 91%, and the average union time was 3.9 months. There were 3 complications, including 2 patients with dura tear, and 1 with deep infection. At the final follow-up, the good and excellent results were up to 83.9%. CONCLUSION Graft material from laminae and spinous processes extended with OsteoSet is reliable and effective enough to replace the graft from the posterior iliac crest.