The use of allograft bone and cages in fractures of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine.

The advantages of allograft tissues and cage devices in anterior spinal reconstruction for trauma is the absence or minimization of donor site morbidity and unlimited choices of graft shapes and sizes. Osteoinductive matrices often are added to these grafting alternatives to improve healing rate and success. Allografts and cages seem to be the most frequent grafting materials used in the thoracolumbar region. Currently, autologous iliac crest is the most popular grafting material in the cervical region although cylindrical cages are gaining popularity. As the material properties of cage devices improve to better match the modulus of elasticity of host vertebral bone, their frequency of use undoubtedly will increase in spinal trauma and other spinal disorders.