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Every year, many South Africans undergo hip re- How does this help?
Pelvis
placement surgery in instances where it has be-
come necessary to remove the damaged/dete- Donated femoral heads are used in both spinal
riorated ball section of the hip joint and replace and orthopaedic surgery to fill a bone void or act
Femoral head
it with a sophisticated durable prosthesis. This as a reconstructive graft in adults and children
medical intervention affords patients improved alike.
mobility and a better quality of life.
Femur
The process is simple:
For a long time, the removed femoral head was • Speak to your surgeon to
discarded post-surgery, and incinerated as medi- Hip and leg bone indicate your wish to donate
cal waste. • Complete the necessary consent
form and take it to hospital with you
But now – you can on the day of surgery
make a difference! • Once admitted to hospital, a few blood

The femoral head is samples will be drawn. These samples will
By donating your femoral head to the tissue removed in theatre. accompany the donated bone to the tissue
bank, you can help to improve the quality of Rather than being bank and will be tested for any transmittable
discarded, the
life for someone else. The tissue bank will use a disease such as HIV, Hepatitis and other, to
patient may choose
special process to remove all the damaged parts to donate it to the ensure that the bone is safe for use in other
of the donated femoral head to expose the tissue bank patients
beautiful white porous bone underneath. • While in theatre the surgeon will prepare
This bone is then prepared in a new and package the donated femoral head for
application for implant into Ball section of the hip joint dispatch to the tissue bank
another patient.

What will this donation cost?

After removal of There is no cost to you, your family or your
the femoral head, Medical aid. All costs will be borne by the tissue
a prosthesis is bank.
fitted for normal
functioning of the
hip

Hip replacement completed