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Bone Bank
Not so!
In the Sunday News of October 18th, 2009 an article published on the trade of human body parts both terrifies and raises questions. Highlighted in this article was the importation of human bone and tissue from the Ukraine which was used in Swiss hospitals. In response to this, we state that neither in the Orthopedic Center Münsingen (OZM) nor at the Münsingen Hospital are such practices observed. Moreover, the use of foreign tissue that could present an increased risk is not necessary since we run our own bone bank for more than 10 years.
The bone bank of the Orthopedic Center Münsingen (OZM) and the Münsingen Hospital is a place where bone and tissue are stored after patient consent and an extensive validation process. Specifically, femoral heads (hips) and knee cartilage ‘left over’ after hip or knee replacement surgery are frozen and carefully stored for future use. Other patients, who cannot donate enough of their own bone for a surgery (autograft), greatly benefit from the bone bank by using the stored Münsingen biomaterial.
Sometimes an implanted prosthesis may loosen. In such a case, where an empty space or pocket is found between the solid patient bone and the solid metal of the prosthesis, Münsingen bone bank material may be used to help anchor a new prosthesis. A tight bone-implant interface results in a more stable reconstruction.
Swiss bone banks are safe - all transplantation regulations as well as associated laws must be observed, and the bone bank may only be operated under authorization of the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). The Orthopedic Center Münsingen (OZM) / Münsingen Hospital bone bank is approved by the FOPH and operates under the strictest quality standards.
Should you choose to donate bone to the bone bank from an operation in the Münsingen Hospital, be assured that this will only happen with your full consent and the bone stored in the Münsingen bone bank will be exclusively used for patients at the Münsingen Hospital. It will never be made available to companies, such as those discussed in the newspaper article.