Adverse Effects Associated With High-Dose Recombinant Human Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 Use in Anterior Cervical Spine Fusion

In Brief Study Design. A retrospective review of patients who underwent an anterior cervical fusion using recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein (rhBMP)-2 with an absorbable collagen sponge (INFUSE®; Medtronic Sofamor Danek, Minneapolis, MN). Objective. To ascertain the complication rate after the use of high-dose INFUSE® in anterior cervical fusions. Summary of Background Data. The rhBMP-2 has been primarily investigated in lumbar spine fusions, where it has significantly enhanced the fusion rate and decreased the length of surgery, blood loss, and hospital stay. Methods. We present 151 patients who underwent either an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (n = 138) or anterior cervical vertebrectomy…