ACTIFUSE FLOW or ACTIFUSE SHAPE for your fracture void?
A surgeon's guide to choosing the right ACTIFUSE graft at Cincinnati Children’s, OH. Get the fill right the first time.
You have a distal radius fracture with a metaphyseal void. You’re holding ACTIFUSE FLOW in a syringe and ACTIFUSE SHAPE on your back table. You’re in the OR at Cincinnati Children’s, and you need to know which product will fill the gap best.
Every fracture void has a shape. A deep, narrow defect calls for a material that can flow into the crevices. A wide, shallow cavity needs something that stays put. ACTIFUSE FLOW is a silicate-substituted calcium phosphate paste in a syringe. It flows like liquid, filling irregular spaces without overpacking. ACTIFUSE SHAPE is a putty you mold with your fingers. It holds its form, so it’s ideal for shallow defects where you need the graft to stay in place while you close. Using the wrong one means incomplete fill or graft migration. That can delay bone healing.
Both products are priced similarly per cc. The real cost is handling time and fill quality. FLOW is faster to inject, but if the void is too wide, it may slump before you finish the closure. SHAPE takes a few seconds to mold, but it gives immediate structural support. In a complex fracture at Cincinnati Children’s, every minute counts. Choosing the right graft upfront avoids having to repack or re-operate later.
This week, call Elite Surgical. They cover Cincinnati Children’s and the surrounding OH hospitals. Ask for a quick in-service. They’ll bring samples of both ACTIFUSE FLOW and SHAPE to your facility. You can test how each one handles in a simulated void. That hands-on feel makes the decision clear. Also ask about the clinical data comparing ACTIFUSE to autograft and other synthetics.
After your case, the void is fully packed with the right graft. FLOW has reached every corner of the crevice, or SHAPE has held its contour. Over weeks, the patient’s body remodels the graft into new bone. The fracture heals solidly, and the patient gets back to normal activity without complication.
Other things people in Cincinnati Children’s ask
bone graft for large tibial plateau defect
Pick a graft that resists compression and supports the articular surface. A moldable, high-porosity graft like ALTAPORE SHAPE packs into irregular voids and stays put. For smaller subchondral gaps, a flowable graft delivered by syringe gives complete fill without leaving dead space. Always use it with rigid internal fixation; the graft is not load-bearing on its own.
weight bearing after tibial plateau fracture with synthetic bone graft
Weight bearing depends on the fixation, not the graft. The graft provides a scaffold for bone ingrowth but does not add immediate structural support. Follow your standard postoperative protocol for the plate and screws. Most patients stay non-weight-bearing for 8 to 12 weeks, with progression based on X-ray healing. The graft will remodel over that time; early loading does not speed it up.
how to choose bone graft substitute for distal radius fracture
Match the graft form to the void shape. For a small, contained cavity, a flowable graft in a syringe (like ACTIFUSE FLOW) fills every corner without overpacking. For a larger, uncontained defect, a moldable graft (like ACTIFUSE SHAPE) holds its form and does not migrate. If you need antibiotic delivery, ACTIFUSE ABX gives you enhanced handling plus the option to mix in powdered antibiotics. Avoid granules that can scatter into the joint.
cost of bone graft substitute for calcaneus fracture
Calcaneus fractures often need 5cc to 10cc of graft. Price it by volume, not by level. Synthetic grafts like ACTIFUSE are priced per cc. Ask your rep for a per-case cost breakdown that includes the delivery system. Compare that to the cost of a second surgery if the void is left unfilled or collapses.
synthetic bone graft safe open fracture
Synthetic grafts like ACTIFUSE are inorganic and do not provide a food source for bacteria the way allograft can. They can be used in a contaminated field after thorough debridement and irrigation. Many surgeons place the graft at the index procedure to maintain space and deliver local antibiotics mixed into the graft. If there is gross purulence, stage the grafting for a second look 48 to 72 hours later.
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Elite Surgical handles fracture repair in Cincinnati Children’s and the area around it.