Bone allografts and the functions of bone banks

The use of bone grafts is a common practice in musculoskeletal surgery to provide mechanical stability where there is a defect and it allows skeletal reconstruction. Classically auto and allografts have been used. The latter are the choice in large, complex defects. Allografts can be transplanted despite cell death, have osteoconduction and osteoinduction capacity, low antigenicity and biomechanical properties similar to the original bone. They can be obtained from living and death donors. They are stored by cryopreservation and lyophilization in entities called bone banks. This is a review about bone allografts and the organization and function of the bone banks. (Rev Med Chile 2011; 139: 660-666).