Banking of massive osteoarticular and intercalary bone allografts--12 years' experience

Preparation and banking of massive osteoarticular allografts and intercalary bone allografts have been performed for the past 12 years. Careful selection of donors as well as extensive laboratory studies of the donor and the allograft have virtually eliminated the danger of transmitting disease from the donor to the recipient. The availability of a variety of allografts in the Tissue Bank allows for the selection, on an anatomic basis, of an allograft best suited for a particular recipient. The authors have supplied several hundred allografts to recipients in many institutions on the premise that excision, preparation, banking, and implantation of bone allografts constitute a clinical service. Thus, the surgeon who excises and prepares the allograft assumes a joint responsibility for the care of the recipient with the surgeon who implants the allograft. This establishes a close working relationship, which encourages frequent consultation between the parties concerned. This relationship is of particular importance in the initial evaluation of the patient and in determining which particular allograft will best serve a given patient. The experience at the authors' institution provides a model for a multiinstitutional facility that may serve as a base for discussion of the methodology involved in the excision, preparation, and storage of bone allografts. The costs associated with the operation of such a facility are not inconsiderable, but the cost of individual osteoarticular and intercalary allografts can be brought down by an increase in the efficiency of operation inherent in the processing of allografts from over 100 donors per year. During the past several years, the cost of excising and preparing intercalary allografts has been $600 per implant, while the cost for osteochondral allografts varied between $900 and $1,200. Such a large multiinstitutional facility offers the advantages of readily available allografts and quality control. However, because of the expense and complexity of operation, it may not be suitable for many medical centers.