[Coral substituted for bone grafting in posterior vertebral arthrodesis in children. Initial results].

The authors used natural coral as a substitutive element to bone supply in children in need of posterior vertebral graft. The use of natural coral was part of a protocol aiming at diminishing peroperative bleeding, and as far as possible, at doing away with resorting to homotransfusion. After reviewing the biological, experimental and clinical bases, the authors studied 49 cases of posterior vertebral fusion instrumented with the Cotrel-Dubousset device and with natural coral grafts. Results were appraised with X-ray in all cases, 5 times with scintigraphies and 7 times with biopsies and were encouraging: coral behaves quite similarly to the usual bone graft. From their experience the authors describe how coral is to be used and consider that the use of this substitutive element should spread in the future under various forms.