Figure 3.

Murine posterolateral spinal fusion model. (A) Removal of dorsal hair to prepare incision site. (B) and (C) Midline incision followed by exposure of the dorsolumbar fascia and perispinal musculature. (D) Sub periosteal dissection to expose the transverse processes of the L3 to L5 vertebrae. (E) Isolation of fracture callus chondrocyte graft (FCCG) from donor mouse. (F) Magnified view of a soft‐tissue fracture callus for hypertrophic chondrocyte collection. (G) and (H) transplantation of graft (FCCG or iliac crest bone graft [ICBG]) into the posterolateral gutters of recipient mouse. (I) Incision closure