Bone Allograft in the UK: Perceptions and Realities

Bone allografts are widely used in the U.K. in joint revision surgery. Despite this widespread usage, there remain concerns among the surgical community regarding the safety of allografts, in terms of the risk of transmission of infection, together with a persistent misconception that allografts are in limited availability. In this paper we discuss the precautions taken to ensure that allografts are safe, and review the residual risks. We also demonstrate that the availability of allograft in the U.K., both actual and potential, greatly exceeds the current clinical demand.