by Sharon O'Reilly
Once considered the Holy Grail in bone replacement materials, Medtronic PLC's Spinal and Biologics Division's INFUSE Bone Graft, the first bone growth factor approved for use in the US, raised the bar in terms of clinical efficacy and has dominated the market for bone replacement materials since its approval in 2002. This recombinant bone morphogenetic protein (rhBMP)-2 has the ability to induce bone growth across a repair site resulting in predictable healing and was PMA approved for use in conjunction with Medtronic's LT-CAGE for treating degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine