Although bone banks have existed for many years, the elements of
organizing and maintaining a hospital bone bank have not been well
documented. The experience with a bone bank at the Massachusetts General
Hospital between 1971 and 1980 provides a model on which to base an
explanation and discussion of methods of procurement, storage, and
retrieval, and the costs associated with such a facility. In 1979, the
procurement rate averaged one donor per month; during that year a total of
ninety-one bones were stored and six different surgeons utilized more than
twenty allografts from the bank. During the same year, the approximate cost
of maintaining the bank was more than $50,000. On the basis of the number
of bones used, the cost averaged more than $2000 per implant. Such a
hospital facility offers the benefits of quality control of the banked bone
but is expensive and may not be feasible for many hospitals.