Local Bone Grafting Is Sufficient for Instrumented Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Surgery: A Preliminary Study

Can hydroxyapatite charged collagen sponge help reduce perioperative blood loss in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis surgery? Preliminary results in 68 patients

PURPOSE

Patient blood management has been recently emphasized to avoid perioperative blood transfusion in AIS surgery. Hydroxyapatite charged collagen sponge (HCS) is a bone substitute material made of collagen and ceramized hydroxyapatite, with associated haemostatic properties. The goal of this study was to assess the impact of HCS in the perioperative blood loss in AIS surgery.

METHODS

After IRB approval, all AIS patients undergoing primary correction were prospectively included over a 15-month period. Patients receiving HCS at the end of the procedure were compared to a control group (matched for age, gender, and fusion levels) without any haemostatic agent or bone substitute. The same perioperative blood saving strategies were used in both groups. Two subfascial drains were used for 48 h in all patients. Perioperative blood loss and transfusion rates were analysed.

RESULTS

A total of 34 patients were included in each group. No difference in drainage volume was observed at day 1, but the reduction was statistically different at day 3 (1135 mL [800-1640] versus 930 [480-1510], p = 0.028, 0.63 ml/Kg/h [0.4-0.92] versus 0.46 [0.29-0.7], p = 0.042). Multivariate analysis found that the use of HCS was associated with a decrease in the postoperative blood loss (OR = 1.17 [1.10-1.25]). The transfusion rate was lower in the HCS group [0 (0% vs. 3(8.8%), p = 0.076)]. No infection occurred, and no complication was reported.

CONCLUSION

With 27% reduction in drain volume, hydroxyapatite charged collagen sponge can be considered as a blood salving strategy in AIS surgery. The role of the biomaterial in fusion rate still needs to be further assessed.

Safety and Efficacy of Stand-Alone Bioactive Glass Injectable Putty or Granules in Posterior Vertebral Fusion for Adolescent Idiopathic and Non-Idiopathic Scoliosis

Posterior spinal fusion (PSF) is the standard procedure for the treatment of severe scoliosis. PSF is a standard procedure that combines posterior instrumentation with bone grafting and/or bone substitutes to enhance fusion. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate and compare the post-operative safety and efficiency of stand-alone bioactive glass putty and granules in posterior spine fusion for scoliosis in a paediatric cohort. A total of 43 children and adolescents were included retrospectively. Each patient's last follow-up was performed at 24 months and included clinical and radiological evaluations. Pseudarthrosis was defined as a loss of correction measuring >10° of Cobb angle between the pre-operative and last follow-up measurements. There was no significant loss of correction between the immediate post-operative timepoint and the 24-month follow-up. There was no sign of non-union, implant displacement or rod breakage. Bioactive glass in the form of putty or granules is an easily handled biomaterial but still a newcomer on the market. This study shows that the massive use of bioactive glass in posterior fusion, when combined with proper surgical planning, hardware placement and correction, is effective in providing good clinical and radiological outcomes.