Complications With Bone Graft Cervical Spine Use

The use of Meditronic growth stimulator in the cervical spine has been associated with many serious problems, including difficulty breathing, swallowing, or speaking, compression of the airway, respiratory depression, nerve damage, and death. The FDA found that most complications occurred between two and 14 days after surgery and issued a warning against using the growth stimulator in the cervical spine and a reminder that such use was not approved by the FDA. In a 2011 publication by The Spinal Journal, it was revealed that Meditronic failed to accurately report the results from clinical trials, failed to report that many of the authors who studied and promoted its product had significant financial ties to the company, that Infuse Bone Graft can cause severe problems with nerve and spinal cords, and that off-label use of Infuse Bone Graft can cause severe side effects.