Article Details

Lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) is a relatively recent minimally invasive technique used to achieve interbody fusion with fewer complications and faster recovery. Achieving solid fusion in high-risk patients is still a challenge due to comorbidities that can impact the bone healing process. Catalyst is a nanosynthetic, silicate-substituted bone graft designed to promote bone regeneration through upregulation of endogenous bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) and activation of dual ossification pathways, including both intramembraneous and endochondral ossification.

We report two cases of high-risk patients diagnosed with degenerative disc disease (DDD) who underwent single and multiple level LLIF using Catalyst bone graft. At 12-month follow-up, CT scans confirmed solid interbody fusion with evidence of bone bridging across the treated levels. These findings are consistent with previous evidence supporting the use of Catalyst in challenging fusion environments and the potential benefit in high-risk LLIF patients.

Keywords: Lumbar interbody fusion; Nanosynthetic bone graft; Silicate-substituted calcium phosphate; Degenerative disc disease