Living Donor Bone Program

You are about to review the Donor Tissue Bank of Victoria’s Living Donor Bone Program webpage. The content of this page is intended for those who are seeking further information about bone donation during Total Hip Replacement Surgery.

Did you know that your old hip bone could be precious to someone else?

The Donor Tissue Bank of Victoria and Bone Donation

The Donor Tissue Bank of Victoria (DTBV) is a not-for-profit organisation which facilitates the donation of human tissue, including bone, for transplantation.

As part of this service, the DTBV’s Living Donor Bone Program enables patients undergoing hip replacement surgery to donate the bone removed in surgery to benefit another person in need. Normally, the bone that is removed during hip replacement surgery is discarded.

Although the surface of your hip bone is damaged and needs replacement, it is likely the bone tissue inside is still able to be used by someone else. There are many ways in which donated bone may be used to help others. It can be milled and used to fill small holes in a patient’s bone. Alternatively it can be cut, shaped and used to fill larger areas. This is known as bone grafting. Grafted bone encourages a patient’s own bone to grow, making it stronger. Following bone tissue transplant, a patient’s mobility is restored, allowing them to lead more active lives with less pain. Bone donation is a generous and life changing gift.

“It was devastating to be told I would never walk again. Then a doctor offered me one last chance – a bone transplant. Now I still have my independence thanks to the generosity of someone who donated their hip bone during hip replacement surgery”.
– bone transplant recipient

How you can help

If you are having a total hip replacement, you may be able to donate your old hip bone to the DTBV.

Donating your old hip bone does not affect your surgery in any way and does not cost you anything.

Did you know that bone is the second most transplanted human tissue after blood?

Your surgeon and hospital proudly support the Living Donor Bone Program and encourage you to participate.

What to do today

If you wish to donate your hip bone, please complete the following steps:

Review the ‘Privacy Information for LDBP Donors’ found here.
Review the ‘Medical Exclusion Criteria’ found here.
If you do not have any of the listed medical conditions, please complete the Bone Donation Registration Form below.

What happens next

Upon receipt of your details, one of the nurses from the DTBV will be in contact with you to further discuss the Living Donor Bone Program. During this phone call you will also be asked to complete a medical history questionnaire and have the opportunity to ask any questions you might have.

This call must be completed before the day of your surgery so that the DTBV can be sure that your bone is suitable for collection and so that your decision to donate can be confirmed with your hospital.

Following this phone call, you will be emailed a consent form and some further questions to complete on the day of your admission with your admission nurse. During your surgery a blood sample will be collected which will be tested for the presence of possible infections such as HIV and hepatitis. We may also need to contact your GP for further medical history information.

If you would like to further discuss your donation, please contact the DTBV on 9684 4426 Monday to Friday between 8am to 4pm and ask to speak with a Tissue Donation Nurse Specialist. We are always happy to speak with you and answer any questions.

The DTBV sincerely appreciates the time you are taking to complete the donor paperwork required to donate your bone. We thank you for your generosity and willingness to donate your bone to help others.

Bone Donation Registration Form

Full Name (required)

Your Email (required)

Your Phone Number (required)

Your Address (required)

Date of Birth (required)

Date of Surgery

Leave blank if you are yet to be allocated a surgery date.

Hospital (required)

Please note: The Living Donor Bone Program is only available to patients having their surgery at the listed hospitals. If you are having your surgery at a hospital not listed and would like to donate your bone, please speak with your surgeon and/or preadmission nurse who will discuss further options with you.

Preferred Contact Days (required)
MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday

Preferred Contact Time (required)
8am - 12pm12pm - 4pm

The nurses at DTBV will do their best to contact you during these preferred contact times. During this call the DTBV nurse will further discuss the Living Donor Bone Program and complete with you a medical history questionnaire. This process will take approximately 20 minutes, depending on the extent of your medical history. To avoid taking up too much of your time we suggest you have with you a list of your current medications, past medical history and surgeries.

I confirm that I have read and acknowledged the ‘Privacy Information for LDBP Donors’ document.
I confirm that I had read the ‘Medical Exclusion Criteria for Femoral Head Donation’ document and do not meet any of the exclusion criteria.

Bone Donation Registration Form

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Donor

Source Tissue

Treatment

Process Method

QC Testing

Packaging

Irradiation

CLINICAL APPLICATIONS

STORAGE

TRANSPORT

ORDERING INSTRUCTIONS