Sports medicine stats: The rising use of allografts in orthopedic surgery
Dr. David Geier is an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist in Charleston, South Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina. He helps athletes and active people feel and perform their best, regardless of age, injuries and medical history. He has been featured in major media publications and shows over 2,500 times throughout his career.
Allografts have seen considerable clinical success in many soft tissue reconstructive procedures. This includes anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction which is one of the most common orthopaedic procedures performed today. In fact, estimates indicate that 300,000 ACL reconstructions are performed annually. Approximately 240,000, or 80%, of them are performed utilizing autograft tissue and 60,000, or 20%, with allograft tissue.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons asserts that over five million musculosketetal allografts have been allocated to surgeons in the past decade. The American Association of Tissue Banks reports that the demand for musculoskeletal grafts has grown from approximately 700,000 grafts in 2001 to 1.5 million grafts in 2007.
Through the stories of a dozen athletes whose injuries and recovery advanced the field (including Joan Benoit, Michael Jordan, Brandi Chastain, and Tommy John), Dr. Geier explains how sports medicine makes sports safer for the pros, amateurs, student-athletes, and weekend warriors alike.
Allografts have seen considerable clinical success in many soft tissue reconstructive procedures. This includes anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction which is one of the most common orthopaedic procedures performed today. In fact, estimates indicate that 300,000 ACL reconstructions are performed annually. Approximately 240,000, or 80%, of them are performed utilizing autograft tissue and 60,000, or 20%, with allograft tissue.