Femoral head collection for bone graft

The field of orthopaedic surgery has changed rapidly in the last ten years, increasing the demand for a readily available supply of allograft. Historically, bone was first grafted in 1668. The first clinical allograft was performed in 1820 by Phillips von Walter who reconstructed part of a skull. Clinical use of allograft has developed steadily during this century, making it now an essential requirement in orthopaedic surgery. Nationally, there is a shortage of available allograft for orthopaedic procedures. Allograft bone can be used in spinal fusion, filling of bone cysts, non-union of fractures and, most commonly, in revision joint replacements. In the last twenty years joint replacement surgery has become common practice and the number of patients requiring revision joint surgery has also increased. This expansion will continue owing to the growing demands made on our health service by our increasingly elderly population. We can expect an increase in demand for allograft.