The marriage of basic scientific research and clinical application often leads to profound advances in our understanding of various disease processes and how they may be ameliorated. One such fortuitous combination has been the discovery of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and their potential application in spinal fusions. The goal of this article is to introduce the neurosurgeon to the basic biology of this protein family, current experimental data (in vitro and in vivo models) demonstrating their effectiveness in enhancing bony fusions, and preliminary clinical trials utilizing BMP in long bone fusions. Using this information, a proposal for the use of BMP in spinal fusions under various clinical scenarios will be discussed.