Allografts: General Informations and Graft Sources

Abstract

Musculoskeletal allografts fill a unique void in the surgical practice of sports medicine and orthopedic surgery. Their use to replace and reconstruct injured or absent musculoskeletal structures has gained widespread acceptance by orthopedic surgeons. Allografts are commonly used during sports medicine surgical procedures in the USA, and their frequency of use is increasing. There is no question regarding the utility of allografts for surgeons, as the number of donors recovered annually continues to increase as does the number of musculoskeletal allografts distributed for implantation. There is still an issue about disease transmission. Because of that many tissue banks have developed new sterilization procedures to further ensure allograft safety. The most well-known Tissue Banks are the European Association of Musculoskeletal Transplantation (EAMST), the European Association of Tissue Banks (EATB), the British Association of Tissue Banks (BATB), and of course the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB), which is the most experienced association due to the big numbers of allografts used by the American orthopedic surgeons. The AATB continues to publish new accreditation policy requirements, new standards, and revisions to current standards.