Allografts in orthopedic surgery: a case report and literature review

Recent advances in orthopedic surgery have reawakened interest in the use of osteochondral allografts. A case is presented of a 32-year-old man who was spared a hemipelvectomy for a huge chondrosarcoma of the pelvis by receiving a massive pelvic allograft. This is apparently the first report of such a procedure being performed in Canada. A history of allografting as well as the fate and immunologic aspects of bone grafts are presented. Bone-banking procedures and the clinical application of allografts in 1986 are discussed.