DONNA’S STORY BONE GRAFTING (Spine and Orthopaedic)

SPINAL FUSION SURGERY RELIEVES PAIN AFTER AN ACCIDENT

Donna

A few years ago, Donna was injured in an auto accident. Immediately, she began having severe back pain. Her family physician referred her to a specialist, Dr. Schuler, who suggested non-operative therapy, routine visits and check-ups, and different anti-inflammatory medications. Donna said, "All of these treatments would work for a while, but then I would be back to a lot of debilitating pain, which led to hospitalization. This went on for a few years."

When she was totally debilitated, she couldn’t even walk. "My husband would physically carry me to the bathroom, put me in the shower, get me out of the shower, and dress me. I stayed in the bed, and if I needed to get up, someone had to lift me out of the bed and carry me."

After one of these debilitating episodes, she decided to consider surgery. "One day I went to step into my kitchen and fell to my knees," she says. "I had to crawl to my bed because I was home alone." She called her specialist and decided to treat her pain at home for a day with anti-inflammatories and pain medication. But it didn’t work. She wound up in the emergency room. 

DONNA’S SPINE SURGERY WITH INFUSE BONE GRAFT

Before the surgery, Donna was treated at the hospital with anti-inflammatories and steroids to reduce the swelling in her spinal column. After two days, she was ready for the surgery. "Dr. Schuler explained the surgery to me," Donna says. "He said that he would go in through the front and remove the degenerating disc. He would then insert two cages with bone graft inside of them."

Donna received Infuse™ Bone Graft with the LT-Cage™ Device instead of having a bone graft taken from her hip because she was concerned about having pain in her hip from the incision.

Donna said the hospital staff was very friendly and explained what to expect before, during, and after the surgery. "Basically, I went into surgery and when I woke up, I was in my room." After she went home from the hospital, Donna made sure she followed the doctor’s recovery plan for her; she didn't lie down or sit too long, but stayed mobile and moving. "I was very careful about how I would bend and lift until I went back for my follow-up visit,” Donna said. “Two days later, I walked the first mile around my neighborhood, which felt really good."


LIFE AFTER SURGERY

The second week after surgery, Donna started aquatic therapy, working out in the pool with the physical therapist. After 4 weeks, she began to strengthen and build muscle by working out with weights and different exercises to keep her core and back healthy and strong.

"Now, I exercise at home every day for 20 minutes and I walk three miles a day," Donna says. "There's nothing I feel that I can't or won't do, as long as I do it wisely.” She said she avoids strenuous movement, taking extra care when she lifts and does certain movements. “I feel great,” Donna said, “I live life to its fullest, and I have fun."

▪In an experimental rabbit study, rhBMP-2 has been shown to elicit antibodies that are capable of crossing the placenta. Reduced ossification of the frontal and parietal bones of the skull was noted infrequently (<3%) in fetuses of rabbit dams immunized to rhBMP-2; however, there was no effect noted in limb bud development. There are no adequate and well-controlled studies in human pregnant women. Women of child bearing potential should be warned by their surgeon of potential risk to a fetus and informed of other possible orthopedic treatments.
▪Women of childbearing potential should be advised that antibody formation to rhBMP-2 or its influence on fetal development has not been completely assessed. In the clinical trial supporting the safety and effectiveness of the Infuse™ Bone Graft/LT-Cage™ Lumbar Tapered Fusion Device, 2/277 (0.7%) patients treated with Infuse™ Bone Graft component and 1/127 (0.8%) patients treated with autograft bone developed antibodies to rhBMP-2. The effect of maternal antibodies to rhBMP-2, as might be present for several months following device implantation, on the unborn fetus is unknown. Additionally, it is unknown whether fetal expression of BMP-2 could re-expose mothers who were previously antibody positive. Theoretically, re-exposure may elicit a more powerful immune response to BMP-2 with possible adverse consequences for the fetus. However, pregnancy did not lead to an increase in antibodies in the rabbit study. Studies in genetically altered mice indicate that BMP-2 is critical to fetal development and that a lack of BMP-2 activity may cause neonatal death or birth defects. It is not known if anti-BMP-2 antibodies may affect fetal development or the extent to which these antibodies may reduce BMP-2 activity.
▪Infuse™ Bone Graft should not be used immediately prior to or during pregnancy. Women of childbearing potential should be advised not to become pregnant for one year following treatment with the Infuse™ Bone Graft/Medtronic Interbody Fusion Device.
▪The safety and effectiveness of the Infuse™ Bone Graft/Medtronic Interbody Fusion Device in nursing mothers has not been established. It is not known if BMP-2 is excreted in human milk.

SPINAL INDICATIONS

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INDICATIONS, CONTRAINDICATIONS, AND WARNINGS FOR:
Infuse™ Bone Graft/LT-Cage™ Lumbar Tapered Fusion Device
Infuse™ Bone Graft/Inter Fix™ Threaded Fusion Device
Infuse™ Bone Graft/Inter Fix™ RP Threaded Fusion Device
Infuse™ Bone Graft/Perimeter™ Interbody Fusion Device
Infuse™ Bone Graft/Clydesdale™ Spinal System
Infuse™ Bone Graft/Divergence-L™ Anterior/Oblique Lumbar Fusion System
Infuse™ Bone Graft/Pivox™ Oblique Lateral Spinal System

The Infuse™ Bone Graft/Medtronic Interbody Fusion Device is indicated for spinal fusion procedures in skeletally mature patients with degenerative disc disease (DDD) at one level from L2-S1, who may also have up to Grade I spondylolisthesis or Grade 1 retrolisthesis at the involved level.

The following interbody devices and surgical approaches may be used with Infuse™ Bone Graft:

  • The LT-Cage™ Lumbar Tapered Fusion Device, implanted via an anterior open or an anterior laparoscopic approach at a single level.
  • The Inter Fix™ or Inter Fix™ RP Threaded Fusion Device, implanted via an anterior open approach at a single level.
  • The Perimeter™ Interbody Fusion Device implanted via a retroperitoneal anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) at a single level from L2-S1 or an oblique lateral interbody fusion (OLIF) approach at a single level from L5-S1.
  • The Clydesdale™ Spinal System, implanted via an OLIF approach at a single level from L2-L5.
  • The Divergence-L™ Anterior/Oblique Lumbar Fusion System interbody device implanted via an ALIF approach at a single level from L2-S1 or an OLIF approach at a single level from L5-S1.
  • The Pivox™ Oblique Lateral Spinal System implanted via an OLIF approach at a single-level from L2-L5.

The Infuse™ Bone Graft/Medtronic Interbody Fusion Device consists of two components containing three parts – a spinal fusion cage, a recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein, and a carrier/scaffold for the bone morphogenetic protein and resulting bone. These components must be used as a system for the prescribed indication described above. The bone morphogenetic protein solution component must not be used without the carrier/scaffold component or with a carrier/scaffold component different from the one described in this document. The Infuse™ Bone Graft component must not be used without the Medtronic Interbody Fusion Device component.

NOTE: The Inter Fix™ Threaded Fusion Device and the Inter Fix™ RP Threaded Fusion Device may be used together to treat a spinal level. The LT-Cage™ Lumbar Tapered Fusion Device, the Perimeter™ Interbody Fusion Device, the Clydesdale™ Spinal System, the Divergence-L™ Anterior/Oblique Lumbar Fusion System, and the Pivox™ Oblique Lateral Spinal System implants are not to be used in conjunction with either the Inter Fix™ OR Inter Fix™ RP implants to treat a spinal level.

The Infuse™ Bone Graft/Medtronic Interbody Fusion Device is contraindicated for patients with a known hypersensitivity to recombinant human Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2, bovine Type I collagen, or to other components of the formulation and should not be used in the vicinity of a resected or extant tumor, in patients with any active malignancy, or patients undergoing treatment for a malignancy; in patients who are skeletally immature; in pregnant women; or in patients with an active infection at the operative site or with an allergy to titanium, titanium alloy, or polyetheretherketone (PEEK).

There are no adequate and well-controlled studies in human pregnant women. In an experimental rabbit study, rhBMP-2 has been shown to elicit antibodies that are capable of crossing the placenta. Women of child bearing potential should be warned by their surgeon of potential risk to a fetus and informed of other possible orthopedic treatments. The safety and effectiveness of this device has not been established in nursing mothers. Women of child- bearing potential should be advised to not become pregnant for one year following treatment with this device.

Please see the Infuse™ Bone Graft package insert for the complete list of indications, warnings, precautions, adverse events, clinical results, definition of DDD, and other important medical information. The package insert also matches the sizes of those sized devices that are indicated for use with the appropriate Infuse™ Bone Graft kit. An electronic version of the package insert may be found at www.medtronic.com/manuals.

CAUTION: Federal (USA) law restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a physician with appropriate training or experience.

TIBIA TRAUMA INDICATIONS

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INDICATIONS, CONTRAINDICATIONS, AND WARNINGS FOR:
INFUSE™ BONE GRAFT

Infuse Bone Graft is indicated for treating acute, open tibial shaft fractures that have been stabilized with IM nail fixation after appropriate wound management. Infuse Bone Graft must be applied within 14 days after the initial fracture. Prospective patients should be skeletally mature.

Infuse Bone Graft consists of two components – recombinant human Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 solution and a carrier/scaffold for the bone morphogenetic protein solution and resulting bone. These components must be used as a system. The bone morphogenetic protein solution component must not be used without the carrier/scaffold component or with a carrier/scaffold component different from the one described in this document.

Infuse Bone Graft is contraindicated for patients with a known hypersensitivity to recombinant human Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2, bovine Type I collagen or to other components of the formulation and should not be used in the vicinity of a resected or extant tumor, in patients with an active malignancy or patients undergoing treatment for a malignancy. Infuse Bone Graft should also not be used in patients who are skeletally immature, in patients with an inadequate neurovascular status, in patients with compartment syndrome of the affected limb, in pregnant women, or in patients with an active infection at the operative site.

There are no adequate and well controlled studies in human pregnant women. In an experimental rabbit study, rhBMP-2 has been shown to elicit antibodies that are capable of crossing the placenta. Women of child bearing potential should be warned by their surgeon of potential risk to a fetus and informed of other possible orthopedic treatments. The safety and effectiveness of this device has not been established in nursing mothers. Women of child-bearing potential should be advised to not become pregnant for one year following treatment with this device.

Please see the package insert for the complete list of indications, warnings, precautions, adverse events, clinical results, and other important medical information.

CAUTION: Federal (USA) law restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a physician with appropriate training or experience.