Tuesday, July 12 2005 13:59 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Chennai: Gone are the days when limbs had to be amputated due to diseases like cancer. Now, thanks to establishment of the country's first 'bone bank' in General Hospital here, the biggest in the country, the affected bones can be replaced by a surgery.

Eminent orthopaedic surgeon of the city and Professor and Head of the Department of Orthopaedic surgery in the Government General Hospital Mayilvahanan Natarajan told PTI that the objective behind setting up of bone bank was to replace metallic implants, normally used in orthopaedic replacement surgeries, which were not easily affordable by the poor.

He said that from a human body, bones like femur, ulna, tibia, fibula, humerus, radius and pelvis, out of a total of 206, could be harvested and used in patients afflicted with cancer or for fractures and joint replacements.

Though 'limb saving' surgeries were being done in General Hospital and Cancer Institute right from 1988, it was only in 1994 that the Centre passed the Transplant of Human Organs Act by which removal of parts like kidneys, eyes and bones were 'legalised'.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa inaugurated the country's first bone bank on July first when the hospital was renovated and refurbished at a cost of over Rs 104 crore.

Mayilvahanan said that around 20 bone banks were now functioning in the United States, about 10 in Europe and one each in Singapore, Malaysia, Bangkok and Indonesia.

Prior to the setting up of the bone bank, they were imported from Sri Lanka costing US $ 150 to 200, besides paying a 40 per cent import duty and used on patients who could afford them.

Mayilvahanan said bones can be harvested only from two groups of people -- live donors, who lose their limbs due to accidents or from cadavers or from brain dead. After harvesting, these bones had to be stored in minus 80 degree Celsius. The harvested bones can be stored upto five years before using. The only condition is that these harvested bones should be free from diseases like hepatitis-B, HIV and cancer. Also, the donor age group should be between 15 and 60 years.

The surgeon said that for the past two years, he had himself treated near 20 cases which went to prove that the transplanted bones 'worked well' with the recipients.

"There is no rejection in the case of bone transplants unlike in kidney transplants," he asserted.