Advanced reconstruction technique using allografts

An allograft is a graft (bone, tendon or ligament) taken from a donor, which is used to repair or replace damaged tissue in the patient.

Upper limb surgery makes use of this technique in particular when the patient’s ligaments or tendons are too damaged to be repaired directly, for example during certain elbow or wrist reconstructions, or to fill a significant bone defect, such as in the context of shoulder prosthesis revision surgery.

Unlike a graft taken from the patient themselves, an allograft avoids the need for an additional operation to harvest the graft, thereby reducing the pain and recovery time associated with the harvest. The tissue used comes from a tissue bank and undergoes rigorous testing to ensure its safety. Healing and integration of this type of graft may take slightly longer, which is taken into account in the rehabilitation programme offered after the operation.