Allograft Provides Scaffolding For Bone Growth For Arthrodesis Procedures

An allograft implant may represent an innovative solution for common arthrodesis procedures.

The AlloAid^® PIP is a sterile engineered allograft for arthrodesis that provides osteoconductive scaffolding for bone growth, according to the manufacturer In2Bones. The AlloAid PIP system offers two sizes of both straight and 10-degree angled implants. This versatility is one of the appealing benefits of the product, according to Ali Albert Anaim, DPM, PC, an attending physician at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia.
Dr. Anaim, who has used the product for two years, says other key advantages of AlloAid PIP are faster incorporation into the fusion site and the “durable and tensile” nature of the allograft.

Composed of sterile cortical bone, the AlloAid PIP is designed with positioning ramps at the joint line, which helps surgeons achieve accurate positioning of the implant and ensure a press fit while reducing the risk of subsidence, according to In2Bones. The company adds that the cross-sectional shape and tapered design resist rotation while tapered ends facilitate ease of insertion. The implant comes with a simple instrument set that includes laser-marked reamers and bowed-nose forceps, notes In2Bones.

In2Bones says the AlloAid PIP complies with all Food and Drug Administration (FDA), American Association of Tissue Banks and state regulatory requirements for donor screening, recovery and testing. A validated gamma irradiation process terminally sterilizes the allograft, putting the probability of finding an unsterile product at one in 1 million, states the manufacturer.

What differentiates the AlloAid PIP from other devices currently on the market is the fact that it is a biodegradable implant with non-metallic hardware, says Dr. Anaim, who is in private practice in Collegeville, PA. Accordingly, with the use of AlloAid IP, In2Bones notes there is no need for post-op hardware removal.   

These qualities are similar to those cited by Stephen J. Kominsky, DPM, FACFAS, in a case study provided by the manufacturer. According to Dr. Kominsky, AlloAid has many advantages over metallic implants and K-wires for the correction of hammertoe deformity, including the fact that the “allograft implant provides an environment for both osteoconduction and osteoinduction.”

Dr. Anaim describes a recent case in which a 24-year-old nurse presented with an elongated, contracted hammertoe with pain.

“Her case was challenging [because] the patient had a very long toe with severe deformity at the level of the proximal interphalangeal joint and distal interphalangeal joint of her second, third and fourth toes bilaterally,” recalls Dr. Anaim. “She required a fusion and shortening of the digits. The AlloAid PIP was a perfect solution for her surgical procedure.”

Comparing the product to metallic implants and K-wire fixation, Dr. Anaim says that, in addition to faster fusion and incorporation with the utilization of AlloAid PIP, he has found there is less risk of post-surgical infection. n

Ms. Garthwait is a freelance writer who lives in Downingtown, PA.