Bone and tissue allografts (see definition at "What it is" page on this site) have many uses for patients, but overall they save lives, repair limbs, and enhance the quality of a patient’s life. Allografts may be used to replace damaged heart valves and skin; however, they are more frequently used in orthopedic surgery to replace tendons or bones as necessary.A variety of transplantable organs and tissues can be used for allografts. These include:
Bone—Supports the body, protects vital organs. Used in facial reconstruction, limb salvage, correction of birth defects, cancer treatments, spinal and oral surgery.
Bone Marrow—Forms blood cells. For treating patients with leukemia.
Cartilage—Connective tissue that serves as skeletal tissue in some parts of the body, such as nose and outer ear. Facial and other cartilage reconstruction.
Corneas—Allow light to enter the eye. Restore sight to some people with blindness.
Heart—Pumps blood to all body systems. For patients with end-stage heart disease.
Heart Valves—Control
flow of blood in the heart by opening and closing with each heartbeat.
Used to reconstruct the poorly formed heart valves in children, or a
diseased valve in adults.
Intestine (small)—Portion
of digestive tract important for absorption of nutrients. Treats
patients with digestive and absorption disorders (most commonly young
children).
Kidneys—Extract waste from the blood; produce important hormones. Eliminate need for dialysis.
Liver—Instrumental in energy regulation, makes proteins, removes wastes from the blood. For patients with end-stage liver disease.
Lungs—Organs of respiration. For patients with cystic fibrosis, emphysema, or other end-stage lung disease.
Pancreas—Secretes
enzymes necessary for digestion, secretes insulin that regulates blood
sugar.
Saphenous Veins—Longest
vein in the leg, which carries blood from the leg back to the heart.
Used in patients to bypass obstructions in the heart or to reconstruct
blocked or damaged vessels of the leg.
Skin—Protects
the body against dehydration, injury and infection. Used as a temporary
covering for burn patients, decreases pain, infection, scarring, heat
loss and fluid loss.
Tendons—Attach muscle to bone. Used for sports-related joint injuries:Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) repair, joint
reconstruction in the knee and ankle, meniscal replacement, ridge
augmentation in dental procedures, shoulder repair and spinal fusion.