Anterior structural support plays an important role in spinal deformity surgery. Femoral ring allografts have been widely used for this purpose despite numerous alternative implants such as cages. The literature and the authors' experience support the use of femoral ring allograft as a structural and biologic compatible implant to reconstruct anterior column defects. Pseudarthrosis rates and the rate of subsidence and loss of correction are low. No long-term studies exist that show that cages are superior in correction of deformity. Femoral ring allograft remains a viable, cost-effective, and biologic sound alternative.
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Kleinstueck et al. (2002) studied this question.
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