Abstract: To evaluate the efficacy of different material fillings in an experimental model of lumbar interbody spinal fusion in rabbits. MethodsAnimals were randomly divided into five experimental groups：the control group, the autogenous iliac bone graft group, the allogeneic bone graft group, the autogenous iliacbioceramics composites group and the rhBMP-2 composite group. All grafts were stuffed in vivo. Gross inspection, manual palpation, radiography, biomechanical testing and histology were used to evaluate the spinal fusion 4, 8, and 12 weeks after the operations. ResultsNone had solid spinal fusion at 12 weeks in the control group; 83.3% of the animal had spinal fusion in the autogenous iliac bone graft group; 66.7% of animals in the allogeneic bone graft group and 66.7% in the autogenous iliacbioceramics composite group had solid spinal fusion; all had spinal fusion in the rhBMP-2 composite group. ConclusionAllogeneic bone, autogenous iliac -bioceramics composites and rhBMP-2 composites could be used for interbody spinal fusion as an alternative of autogenous iliac bone graft for clinic treatment, furthermore BMP-2 could mechanically accelerate spinal fusion.

Key words: Spinal fusion, Autograft, Allograft, Ceramics, Bone morphogenetic proteins