Information for potential bone donors

How Can My Bone Be Used to Help Others? 

During your operation, the top of your thigh bone (the head of the femur or femoral head) is removed and replaced with an artificial one. 

The removed bone can be used in reconstructive surgery, trauma repair and joint replacements for those in need. If a patient has suffered bone loss due to disease, injury or previous surgery, this can be replaced using small pieces of bone from a donor. Such operations enable people to be mobile again, or may restore the use of a limb. 

By donating your removed hip bone, you can help future patients regain their mobility and improve their quality of life. 

Donating your bone will not delay your procedure or affect the care you receive.     

Can Everyone Give Their Bone? 

Most people can, there is no age limit.  Some people may not be accepted as bone donors, in a similar way that not everyone can be a blood donor.  This is usually because they have had certain medical conditions. 

Please do not offer to donate bone if:

• You have a history of cancer – (Basal Cell can still donate) 
• You have received a blood transfusion since 1980 
• You have Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis (MS) 
• You have Alzheimer’s or dementia 
• You have or think you have HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)
• You have or ever had hepatitis B or C 
• You have or ever had HTLV (Human T-Lymphotropic Virus)
• You have or ever had syphilis
• You have Paget’s disease or avascular necrosis (AVN) 
• You have any autoimmune disease (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease)
• You were born or ever lived in a country known as a malarial area   
• 3 months prior to donation, you have had a tattoo, acupuncture, a piercing, or any cosmetic treatment involving piercing of the skin
• 3 months prior to donation, you have had sex with a new partner, including oral or anal sex, even using a condom 
• You have ever been injected with illegal drugs, including body building drugs
• You are a haemophiliac who has received clotting factor concentrates 
• You have ever been in contact with, ingested or had exposure to potential hazardous substances (e.g. cyanide, lead, mercury)     

Testing Bone Donors 

Regulations require that routine screening tests are done on all bone donors. On the day of your operation, we will ask for a small blood sample to screen your blood for various infections. 

We will test your blood for: 

• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis C
• Syphilis
• HIV 
• HTLV 

What Do I Have to Do to Be a Bone Donor? 

• During your pre-operative assessment appointment, please mention your interest to your pre-operative assessment nurse, who will contact our dedicated donation team to come to speak to you about your suitability to be a bone donor 
• You will be asked to complete a medical history, travel and lifestyle questionnaire     
• If you prefer, you can request a call back from one of our team to discuss the bone donation programme in more detail and complete the questionnaire over the phone   
• The questionnaire will take approximately 20 minutes 
• You also have the option to log into the myrecovery app to complete the suitability questionnaire. Please see the myrecovery QR code below for details on how to access the app   
• If you choose to use the myrecovery app, and are suitable for bone donation, one of our team will meet you on the day of your operation, and if you still want to donate, we will ask you for your consent 
• To help us to keep your donation safe, we need to determine if bone donors are in a high-risk group for various infections.  Some of the information we require may seem very personal, but this is necessary to comply with Department of Health regulations. 

Accessing Myrecovery

If you haven’t already accessed myrecovery, you can scan the QR code below which will provide you with details on how to register or go to nhs.auth.msk.ai in your browser and complete the online registration form or download the app in the App Store or Google Play.

Research and Training 

If donated bone is unsuitable for transplant, it may be used for research or training purposes. 

How Easy Is It to Say “No”?

It is very easy to say “no”.  There is no obligation or pressure on you to donate your bone.  You are free to say “no” for whatever reason and no further questions will be asked. 

Thank you for considering donating your bone. 

Contact 

If you require any further information, please contact our dedicated Bone Donation Team 

Telephone: 0300 707 6435 / 6452 

Email: Bonebank@wwl.nhs.uk