Date of Award

Summer 1997

Document Type

Thesis - Restricted

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Mechanical Engineering

First Advisor

Toth, Jeffrey

Second Advisor

Fournelle, Raymond A.

Third Advisor

Hubbard, William

Abstract

Calcium phosphates are being investigated as interbody grafts for spinal fusion to avoid complications associated with autograft, allograft, and xenograft. It was previously reported that a 50% fracture rate resulted when evaluating the efficacy of 30, 50, and 70% porous 50150 HA/B-TCP to promote cervical interbody fusion in a caprine model. Undecalcified histological analysis showed a lack of graft incorporation in some peri-implant regions despite fusion in others. The specific aim of the current study was to augment two ceramics with an osteoinductive substance (Ne-Osteo) to increase graft incorporation in order to promote cervical interbody fusion in a caprine model. This study was designed to test the hypothesis: Will fusion occur and fracture of the ceramics be prevented with the osteoinductive substance loaded on the ceramics?

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