Musculoskeletal Tissue Transplantation & Tissue Banking

This book presents a summary of pertinent information on bone biology, theory and practice of tissue transplantation and of experimental results from which practical aspects of human allograft preparation, storage and transplantation have been extrapolated. The experience gained from the organization and continuous operation of a clinical tissue bank has aided us in this endeavor. It provided a philosophical and practical workshop needed for the implementation of a full service tissue bank that served, and continues to serve, a broad national and international interest. The success of the University of Miami Tissue Bank was a catalyst to the rapid growth of tissue banking in both the United States and abroad. Bone and tissue transplantation began and evolved to satisfy patient needs. Initially, clinical success prefaced scientific discovery, but in the last several years the situation has begun to change. This book notes a momentous event in bone physiology, the isolation of several bone growth proteins, named bone morphogenetic proteins, BMP 1-7 which are members of a family of growth and differentiation factors (TGF-B).