ACTIFUSE FLOW vs SHAPE for your ankle fusion case
Which graft handling fits the defect you're filling right now? Answers from Elite Surgical, supporting foot & ankle fusion in Bon Secours Mercy Health, OH.
You have a foot and ankle fusion scheduled at Bon Secours Mercy Health. The bone void is open and you are holding both ACTIFUSE FLOW and ACTIFUSE SHAPE. You need the graft that fills the space cleanly, stays put, and remodels predictably.
The difference is in how the graft goes in and stays in. ACTIFUSE FLOW comes in a syringe. You inject it into narrow, uneven gaps where you need the paste to travel into crevices. It is thinner and flows under low pressure, so it fills a socket or a tight tibiotalar joint line without pushing tissue aside.
ACTIFUSE SHAPE is a moldable strip. You pinch off what you need and press it into a larger void. It holds its form and resists migration. If you are building up a defect, contouring around hardware, or packing a subtalar space that wants volume, SHAPE gives you that control.
Both grafts use the same silicate-substituted calcium phosphate. The body replaces both with real bone over time. So pick by the shape of the problem. For a narrow, irregular gap you cannot reach with your fingers, reach for the FLOW syringe. For a larger void you need to pack and sculpt, SHAPE works. If you want a second set of eyes in the OR at Bon Secours Mercy Health, Elite Surgical can bring samples and published series, including the 24-patient tibiotalar study, to your next case.
Once you close, the graft goes to work. The scaffold is gone in months, replaced by living bone that integrates with the fusion mass. Follow your usual post-op protocol. The patient gets one fusion surface, one recovery, and no harvest site pain.
Other things people in Bon Secours Mercy Health ask
bone graft substitute not remodeling
Not all synthetics remodel at the same rate. A graft with a highly porous, interconnected scaffold, like ACTIFUSE or ALTAPORE, is built to be replaced by host bone over time. Check your graft's resorption profile. If you need predictable remodeling, choose one with published fusion data for foot and ankle.
weight bearing after ankle fusion with synthetic bone graft
Weight bearing depends on fixation stability, not just the graft. With ACTIFUSE, the scaffold starts remodeling within weeks, but full load is typically allowed after 6-8 weeks if the construct is solid. Check your specific fixation and follow published protocols for tibiotalar fusion with this graft.
bone graft substitute for diabetic ankle fusion
Use a scaffold that remodels into real bone and can handle poor host biology. ACTIFUSE provides an 80% porous structure that the body replaces with living bone, without harvesting from the hip or heel. Published tibiotalar fusion series using this graft show reliable outcomes in compromised patients.
cost of bone graft substitute for ankle fusion
The price depends on the volume of graft needed and the specific product. For a standard ankle fusion, a synthetic graft like ACTIFUSE typically costs less than using a bone graft harvested from the patient when you factor in OR time and donor site complications. Get a quote from your supplier for the exact product and volume.
normal shoes after ankle fusion synthetic bone graft
Most patients can transition to a supportive shoe around 10 to 12 weeks after surgery, once X-rays show the fusion is solid. Synthetic grafts like ACTIFUSE remodel into real bone, so the timeline is similar to autograft. Always confirm healing on imaging before clearing the patient.
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Elite Surgical handles foot & ankle fusion in Bon Secours Mercy Health and the area around it.