Properties of Sterilized Human Skin Allografts by Gamma-Irradiation

The most commonly used sterilization method of human skin allografts is ethylene oxide (EO). EO gas, however, can change the biomechanical properties of the grafts and produce toxic residues which are harmful to the recipient. The heating method cannot be applied for sterilization of soft tissues because of damage due to heat. The purpose of this study was to determine whether it is possible to apply gamma-irradiation for sterilization of soft tissues as well as for hard tissues.