A chemosterilized antigen-extracted autodigested alloimplant for bone banks.

Limited chemical extraction of hydrophobic glycopeptides and subtotal autodigestion of the donor's cells and plasma membranes in undemineralized cortical bone in vitro reduces the putative quantity of haptenic substances absorbed by the recipient. Iodoacetic acid and sodium azide or other sulfhydryl group enzyme inhibitors added to the buffer solutions during in vitro autodigestion and estraction of intracellular alloantigens protects the bone matrix morphogenetic property against enzymatic degradation. The delayed hypersensitivity reaction induced by aseptically collected freeze-dried bone and the destruction of the bone morphogenetic property caused by radiation-sterilization is avoidable by sequential chemodigestion and chemosterilization of bone that preserves the maximum morphogenetic potential while transferring a minimum quantity of alloantigen.