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Study: Spinal surgery with rhBMP-2 yields 11.6% rate of major complications
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A group of patients who underwent spinal surgery with a dose of recombinant human morphogenetic protein-2 greater than 40 mg had a 11.6% incidence of medical and surgical complications, but showed no increased risk of developing cancer, according to results of this study.
“This is the largest study of which we are aware that examines complications associated with high-dose [recombinant human morphogenetic protein-2] rhBMP-2,” Addisu Mesfin, MD, and colleagues wrote in the study abstract. “Major surgical complications occurred in 11.6% of patients, and 11.6% experienced major medical complications.”
Mesfin and colleagues analyzed results from 502 patients who underwent spinal surgery with an average of 115 mg of rhBMP-2 between 2002 and 2009, according to the abstract. Of these patients, 41% had idiopathic scoliosis, 31% had degenerative scoliosis, 19% had fixed sagittal imbalance and 10% had other diagnoses. They measured outcomes using the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) outcome measures preoperatively and postoperatively.
At 1-year follow-up, the researchers noted improved SRS and ODI outcome measures, according to the abstract. There was no association with rhBMP-2 use and radiculopathy, cancer or seroma. There was an 8.6% incidence of intraoperative surgical complications, an 18.9% incidence of minor medical complications, and a 2.6% incidence of minor surgical complications.
Disclosure: The authors have no relevant financial disclosures.
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