LAUSR

ost bone graft substitutes currently used in M surgery can be broadly categorized into calcium and demineralized bone matrix-based technologies that were developed several decades ago. We have investigated the safety and efficacy of a novel hypercrosslinked carbohydrate polymer (HCCP) for the repair of a critical sized bone defect and lumbar interbody fusion. We also explored the possibility of utilizing HCCP as a carrier for various biologics. For lumbar interbody fusion, we custom-designed HCCP to fit into an interbody cage, implanted into the disc space at L4–5 in sheep (N1⁄418), and compared it with autologous bone. Animals were monitored by computed tomography (CT), and the implant site was harvested 5 months after implantation. For the repair of a critical-sized bone defect, we implanted HCCP granules (N1⁄45) into a defect (7 mm 10 mm) created in the femoral condyle of rabbit and compared them with autologous bone (N1⁄45) and poly (lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA)based substitutes (N1⁄45). We evaluated with CTs and, at 4 months, histology. At 5 months after implantation, complete spinal fusion was observed in sheep implanted with HCCP at a level comparable with autologous bone, as