Autologous Harvesting
The Treviso Tissue Bank Foundation also preserves fragments of cranial bone harvested from patients treated in the Neurosurgery Divisions of the network for trauma, tumours, aneurysms and congenital malformations.
These donations of bone chips will allow neurosurgeons to perform autologous re-implantation in the same individual of his ‘own' (autologous) bone fragments at a later stage of the healing process, thereby avoiding costly artificial prostheses.
When these autologous fragments are removed, a test-tube of blood is also taken to which will be added approximately 6 ml of an anti-clotting agent (EDTA), labelled with the donor's name, surname, date of birth and national health code, preserved at +20C/+80C. The blood will be analysed for:
• Antibodies against Hepatitis B surface antigens (HBsAg);
• Antibodies against Hepatitis C virus (HCV);
• Antibodies against HIV I/II virus;
• Anti-Treponema antibodies (LUE).
If these tests have already been carried out in the hospital ward, there is no need to repeat them. The test results are simply sent to the TTBF. In the event of positive findings, the tissues are stored separately to avoid any possible contamination.