Bone transplantation.

After blood, bone is the most frequently transplanted human tissue. Basic science and clinical research completed in recent years suggests that bone autografting may eventually become a thing of the past. Bone replacement with synthetic materials and growth factors are becoming common procedures in the orthopedic operating room. Tissue engineering technology is approaching the ability to synthesize bone for a particular patient. For now, however, traditional bone grafting remains important. The demarcation between traditional procedures and the use of new bone graft substitutes and growth factors is blurring, as combination or composite techniques prove safe and appear effective. This blurring of boundaries represents a stage in the progression from autologous bone transplantation to a time when replacement bones can be synthesized and bones, or even whole limbs, can be transplanted from one person to another. This article reviews the history of bone transplantation and current techniques, and casts an eye toward the future.