Audit of a bone bank

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic surgery
• Tissue banking
• Infectious disease

Background:

• Bone allografts are crucial in orthopedic procedures.
• Maintaining high standards in bone banking is essential for patient safety.
• The Leicester Bone Bank's initial 18 months of operation required evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To audit the safety and efficacy of allografts from the Leicester Bone Bank.
• To assess infection rates associated with femoral head and large allograft implantation.
• To identify areas for improvement in bone banking procedures.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective audit of 161 femoral heads and 22 large allografts.
• Analysis of implantation data, patient outcomes, and microbial cultures.
• Evaluation of contamination and sterilization methods for allografts.

Main Results:

• 103 femoral heads were implanted in 59 patients with 2 deep and 5 wound infections.
• Two femoral head cultures were positive, but organisms did not match clinical infections.
• One infection occurred in nine implanted large allografts; four required irradiation due to contamination.

Conclusions:

• The Leicester Bone Bank demonstrated acceptable safety profiles for femoral head and large allografts.
• Prospective audits are vital for bone banks to ensure quality control.
• Continuous auditing helps maintain high standards and minimize allograft wastage.