Estimates of over 500,000 bone grafting procedures are performed annually in the United States, with approximately half of these procedures related to spine fusion. These numbers easily double on a global basis and indicate a shortage in the availability of musculoskeletal donor tissue traditionally used in these reconstructions. This reality has stimulated a proliferation of corporate interest in supplying what is seen as a growing market in bone substitute materials. These graft alternatives have varying degrees of regulatory scrutiny and thus, their true safety and effectiveness in patients may not be known prior to their use by orthopaedic surgeons. It is thus, important to gain insight into this emerging class of bone substitute alternatives. This handout provides an update of an emerging class of bone graft substitutes, which have found application as osteoconductive fixation and structural media.