Background:Joint arthrodesis often employs autograft to promote union; graft harvesting can lead to perioperative morbidity. A Canadian randomized controlled trial (RCT) demonstrated that recombinant human platelet–derived growth factor BB homodimer (rhPDGF-BB) combined with beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP)-collagen was a safe, effective alternative to autograft. This multicenter North American RCT compared the safety and efficacy of rhPDGF-BB/β-TCP-collagen with autograft for ankle and hindfoot fusion. Subclassification using propensity scores (PS) incorporated patients from previous trials for enhanced statistical power for noninferiority testing and broader review of treatments.Methods:Patients requiring ankle or hindfoot arthrodesis and supplemental bone graft were treated with rhPDGF-BB/β-TCP-collagen ( n = 69) or autograft ( n = 35). Outcomes included joint fusion on computed tomography (24 weeks), clinical healing status, visual analog scale (VAS) pain, Short-Form 12 (SF-12), American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) Ankle-Hindfoot Scale, and Foot Function Index (FFI) scores over 52 weeks. PS methodology addressed potential selection bias arising from pooling data among these patients and 2 previous RCTs with similar inclusion criteria, surgical techniques, graft harvest techniques, and outcomes. All 132 rhPDGF-BB/β-TCP-collagen–treated patients and 167 of 189 candidate autograft-treated controls were selected for comparison by an independent statistician blinded to outcomes.Results:In the PS subclassification, 68.1% treatment patients and 68.4% controls achieved >50% osseous bridging at fusion sites. Clinical healing status was achieved in 84.8% of treated patients and 90.7% of controls at 52 weeks. Clinical, functional, and quality of life results demonstrated noninferiority of rhPDGF-BB/β-TCP-collagen to autograft. Safety-related outcomes were equivalent.Conclusion:PS subclassification analysis of 3 RCTs demonstrated that rhPDGF-BB/β-TCP-collagen was as effective as autograft for ankle and hindfoot fusions, with less pain and morbidity than treatment with autograft.Level of Evidence:Level I, prospective randomized study.
Recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor BB (rhPDGF-BB) and beta-tricalcium phosphate/collagen matrix enhance fracture healing in a diabetic rat model
