HIV SCREENING BEFORE BONE TRANSPLANTATION

Tissue transplantation obviously always involves the risk of HIV trans mission. Since 1980, the Orthopaedic University of Muenster has conduc ted careful anamnestic and laboratory screening in 62 donors. Epidemio logical investigations show that 90.1% of HIV-positive people in Germa ny are between 20 and 50 years old. For 25 donors (40%) the results of the HIV antigen test performed in the recipients of the other organs guaranteed HIV negativity. A further 17 donors (28%) were outside the epidemiologic risk group aged between 20 and 50 years. Tissue from all 20 other donors (32%) was subjected to a secondary sterilization meth od, e.g. fumigation with ethylene oxide or irradiation with 25 kGy.