Bone banking in a community hospital.

Major orthopaedic operations are now also performed in community hospitals. Because allografts are sometimes used during these procedures, local bone banking could become an essential tool. We evaluated the indications and results of the allografts from the local bone bank used in our institution. The financial aspect was also examined. Of the 131 allografts stored in our bone bank, only 20 were discarded. Postoperative follow-up showed good ingrowth of the grafts except for one graft failure. There were no superficial or deep postoperative infections. All cultures taken during implantation remained negative. These data suggest that bone banking in a community hospital is a safe and practical alternative to address the ongoing demand of bone grafts in a small orthopaedic practice. Financial costs are reasonable. In our experience, bone banking also broadens the spectrum of orthopaedic operations that can be performed in an orthopaedic unit.