Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 3, 2026

An Anesthesia, Surgery, and Harvest Method for the Evaluation of Transpedicular Screws Using an In Vivo Porcine Lumbar Spine Model
09:07

An Anesthesia, Surgery, and Harvest Method for the Evaluation of Transpedicular Screws Using an In Vivo Porcine Lumbar Spine Model

Published on: May 31, 2017

8.1K

Spinal fusion without instrumentation - Experimental animal study.

Sandra Reitmaier1, Julian Schuelke1, Hendrik Schmidt2

  • 1Institute of Orthopedic Research and Biomechanics, Center of Musculoskeletal Research, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.

Clinical Biomechanics (Bristol, Avon)
|May 3, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Impact of early life stress on the immune response and bone regeneration after fracture.

Bone reports·2026
Same author

Inhibition of AXL receptor tyrosine kinase increases osteoblast function and bone mass.

Bone research·2026
Same author

MULTIDIMENSIONAL SPATIAL MAPPING OF EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX: CARTILAGINOUS-OSSEOUS COMPOSITE FORMATION, TENDON INTEGRATION AND VASCULARIZATION DURING SKELETAL GROWTH AND REPAIR.

Journal of bone and mineral research : the official journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research·2026
Same author

Beyond survival: What drives senescence in trauma, shock and sepsis?

Injury·2026
Same author

Impaired bone healing upon neutrophil-specific adrenoreceptor beta 2 knockout in non-osteoporotic and osteoporotic mice.

NPJ Regenerative medicine·2026
Same author

Bioengineered MSC-derived extracellular vesicles in intervertebral disc therapeutics: A systematic review.

Acta biomaterialia·2026

Sheep studies show that spinal fusion can occur naturally after destabilization without instrumentation. This suggests stimulating the body's repair capacity may be an alternative to costly surgical implants for lumbar spine fusion.

Area of Science:

  • Orthopedics
  • Spinal Surgery
  • Regenerative Medicine

Background:

  • Instrumented spinal fusion for lumbar instability is increasing in number and cost.
  • The potential for the body to naturally restore spinal stability requires investigation.
  • Large-animal models offer insights into biological healing processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate if natural repair after destabilization (facetectomy and nucleotomy) can achieve spinal fusion comparable to instrumented surgery.
  • To compare the efficacy of different surgical interventions, including those without instrumentation.

Main Methods:

  • Four surgical interventions were performed on sheep: dorsal fixation, ventral fixation with cage, and destabilization without instrumentation.
  • Lumbar spines were harvested six months postoperatively for biomechanical testing.
Keywords:
FacetectomyInstabilityLumbar spinal fusion surgeryLumbar spine treatmentsNucleotomySpondylodesis

More Related Videos

Fixation of Ultrasound Transducers for Spinal Cord Neuromodulation in Mice
03:26

Fixation of Ultrasound Transducers for Spinal Cord Neuromodulation in Mice

Published on: August 1, 2025

855
A Mouse Model of Lumbar Spine Instability
05:28

A Mouse Model of Lumbar Spine Instability

Published on: April 23, 2021

9.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 3, 2026

An Anesthesia, Surgery, and Harvest Method for the Evaluation of Transpedicular Screws Using an In Vivo Porcine Lumbar Spine Model
09:07

An Anesthesia, Surgery, and Harvest Method for the Evaluation of Transpedicular Screws Using an In Vivo Porcine Lumbar Spine Model

Published on: May 31, 2017

8.1K
Fixation of Ultrasound Transducers for Spinal Cord Neuromodulation in Mice
03:26

Fixation of Ultrasound Transducers for Spinal Cord Neuromodulation in Mice

Published on: August 1, 2025

855
A Mouse Model of Lumbar Spine Instability
05:28

A Mouse Model of Lumbar Spine Instability

Published on: April 23, 2021

9.2K
  • Analysis included assessment of spinal stability, facet joint space, and intervertebral disc height.

    • Main Results:

    • Spinal stability was restored within six months in destabilized segments, comparable to instrumented fusion.
    • Destabilization without instrumentation led to decreased facet joint space and disc height at the index level.
    • Adjacent spinal segments were not significantly affected by restabilization without instrumentation.

    Conclusions:

    • The findings question the necessity of costly instrumentation in spinal fusion.
    • Stimulating the body's inherent reparative capacity presents a potential alternative for lumbar spine fusion.
    • This research may influence future surgical strategies for spinal instability.