INFECTION ASSOCIATED WITH THE USE OF ALLOGRAFT BONE FROM THE NORTH-EAST SCOTLAND-BONE-BANK

To assess the rate of infection associated with use of banked allograf t bone, the case records of patients receiving banked bone over one ye ar were reviewed. The notes of patients undergoing autografting proced ures during the same period were reviewed as controls. Eighty-two pati ents received 98 banked allograft femoral heads and there were 10 prov en infections (12.2%). Fifty-seven patients had autograft procedures, with two cases of infection (3.5%). The results of bacteriological sur veillance of grafts harvested during the same period were analysed; th ere was a discard rate due to bacterial contamination of 1.3%, and two patients received three contaminated grafts, one of these patients su ffering a postoperative infection. The failure rate of procedures was 50% where there was postoperative infection and 4.2% where there was n one. Procedures using banked allograft bone have a substantial infecti on risk, and this is associated with a much higher rate of failure of the procedure. Prospective audit of allograft use should be applied to reduce this risk.