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HOME > Community > Tissue Donation > Musculoskeletal Tissue Donation |
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Donation of Musculoskeletal Tissue |
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Often more effective than artificial alternatives, bone grafts can make reconstruction more feasible or shorten the recovery time for many orthopaedic procedures. The musculoskeletal tissue which can be donated is as follows:
The age restrictions on bone and musculoskeletal tissue donation are as follows:
Bone donations are used to fill cavities created after the removal of a tumour, or to provide structural support for fracture non-unions, and to reinforce bone that has been weakened, particularly following total joint replacement. Bones are often 'milled' by the surgeon, enabling them to be used to fill defects in the recipient's bone stock. Bone tissue can also be used as an entire graft in what is termed a 'hemijoint replacement'. This occurs when the recipient's own bone has had to be removed entirely, usually due to tumour, and this is replaced by an allograft bone of the same anatomical kind and size, hence half a joint is replaced. FACT: Bone is the second most transplanted tissue in the world, second only to blood. When bone is transplanted into a recipient, the recipient's cells begin to undergo a process called 'creeping substitution', which consists of resorption of the donor bone and deposition of new recipient bone. The donor bone acts as a scaffolding for this process to occur, stimulating the recipient's cells to begin producing the new bone. This process occurs over many years. Fascia lata is a dense tissue which runs down the side of the upper part of the leg, and is used widely in treating incontinence by being transplanted as a vaginal sling. It is also commonly used to recify eyelid ptosis (droopy eyelid). Donated tendons and ligaments are used to replace torn or irreparably damaged tendons and ligaments in the recipient. They are most commonly transplanted to the same anatomical position, however, they can be trimmed and remodelled by the surgeon to replace any number of ligaments/tendons. Meniscal grafts are used to replace a damaged meniscus in the recipient and are most commonly used in patients who have previous injury or sugery, resulting in a loss of meniscal tissue. Meniscal tears cause pain, swelling and locking of the knee joint, and are often unable to be repaired using any other surgical techniques. Meniscal transplants help restore normal anatomy and provide pain-free stability in the knee of the recipient, allowing the recipient to return to normal physical activity. Bone can also be procured through a surgical donation program which is a recent addition to the services offered by the tissue bank. The Satellite Bone Banking involves the retrieval of bone from people suffering from osteoarthritis during the normal course of hip replacement surgery. The bone that is normally discarded when replaced with a prosthetic implant, is salvaged and processed for transplantation. Bone is either stored at -80 degrees celsius and can remain frozen at this temperature for a maximum of 5 years, or it is freeze dried, a process involving the removal of all moisture from the graft under vacuum. This process allows it to be stored at room temperature, also for a maximum of 5 years. The musculoskeletal tissue is stored on-site at the Donor Tissue Bank of Victoria, and is dispatched under controlled conditions to numerous hospitals Australia-wide immediately prior to operation.
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