Growing a bridge of bone in the core of cervical fusion cages using geneX

Australian TGA-approved geneX (from Biocomposites, UK; supplied in Australia by JoySurgical) has uniquely bio-engineered properties aimed at enhancing bone formation, including within the core of cervical fusion cages.

The negatively charged surface chemistry attracts cells required for bone growth and remodeling. A key goal in modern anterior cervical fusions is to create a healthy bone bridge in the core of the cervical cage. The geneX putty is comprised of tricalcium phosphate and an ultra pure calcium sulphate. [Images above and immediately below, courtesy Biocomposites, UK]

Example below: This young patient presented with cervical cord compression and rapidly progressing neurological deterioration from a herniated cervical disc (magenta arrow), associated with a degenerative, collapsed disc space (red arrow) as shown in her pre-op MRI.

I removed the disc minimally-invasively, and replaced it with a Roi-C cage (LDR, Device Technologies). The core of the cage was filled with geneX putty. Note the pre-op (left) and post-op (right) cervical spine X-rays below.

The above pair of images show the collapsed disc space (left image, pre-op, red arrow), which was repaired and expanded using the cage (right image, post-op, green arrow) filled with a bioactive core of geneX putty (whitish square between curved titanium anchors and white dot in the above right x-ray). The patient’s severe symptoms and neurological impairment improved immediately post-operatively.