Recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 versus iliac crest bone graft in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: Dysphagia and dysphonia rates in the early postoperative period with review of the literature

Recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) is a growth factor utilized to stimulate bone development in several clinical scenarios. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved this therapeutic modality for only two applications, it is frequently used off-label in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) procedures as an alternative to iliac crest bone graft (ICBG), the prior standard of care. This usage has been a source of controversy in the medical community due to evidence of increased rates of postoperative edema and dysphagia. This retrospective cohort study investigates two groups of 200 patients having undergone ACDF, one using rhBMP-2 and the other using ICBG, to evaluate the incidence of complications in the early postoperative period. A significant reduction in average length of stay was found in the rhBMP-2 cohort (1.40 days) compared to the ICBG cohort (1.85 days) as well as a significantly increased rate of dysphagia (25.5% in rhBMP-2 vs. 15% in ICBG; p = 0.01). An increased rate of dysphonia was observed among patients undergoing revision surgery (25.0%) compared to primary surgery (1.6%), but stratification by number of levels, gender, and smoking status yielded no differences in complication rates. Our evaluation of two large cohorts along with review of the literature on the topic sheds light on potential benefits and risks of rhBMP-2 in ACDF procedures. Further investigation is warranted to determine if clinical gains outweigh the potential harms of rhBMP-2 use in this setting.