Intercorporal Bone Graft Measurement Study

Instrumented lumbar fusion surgery is often accompanied by interbody fusion using an autologous bone graft that is supposed to expand and remodel to achieve a rigid and lasting bony construction between two vertebrae. However, there is a dearth of knowledge regarding the process of biological remodelling of intercorporal bone grafts. Also, a valid and reliable assessment of fusion status remains challenging because there is no objective tool available to quantify the bone remodelling process. CT-based Hounsfield Units correlate with Bone Mineral Density and can be used as a proxy to establish trajectories over time to assess changes in bone mineral density from the bone graft.

Inclusion criteria: * non-responsiveness to non-operative treatment in the six months prior to study enrolment * fusion indicated for only one segment in the L1 to S1/ilium region * between the age of 45 and 80. Exclusion criteria: * receiving revision spine surgery * not wanting to provide informed consent * pregnant or expecting to be pregnant within in the next two years.