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An inquiry at German surgical departments about their bone bank techniques showed that 45% of clinical hospitals use allogeneic bone implants among other implants. In 1989, the year of the official survey, allogeneic bone was transplanted about 6000 times in these clinical hospitals. Despite of this high transplantation frequency important differences turn out regarding selection and testing of recipients, transplantation storage and treatment. A lot of clinical hospitals do not perform important donor examinations inspite of proven transmission risks of bacterial and viral diseases by deep frozen bone. A trend analysis shows that despite of the risk of an HIV-transmission and the resulting difficulties in the logistic of the bone bank, the transplantation frequency allogeneic bone stays constant. The official surveys prove the large range of bone bank techniques and should give rise to make efforts to take note of the recommendations for bone banking techniques.

33 bone allotransplants (cryopreserved) of AB0- and Rh-incompatible (donor-recipient) patients were performed to evaluate the question which AB0 Rh-incompatibility leads to immunization of the bone transplant recipient. Several different antibodies were tested pre- and postoperatively in the recipient. Regarding the Rh-system no immunization was demonstrable; however, a significant increase of antibody leads was found regarding the AB0-system. Thus, in bone bank techniques AB0 compatibility is important for allogeneic bone transplantation in young women. Otherwise, there is a risk for the development of MHN in case of pregnancy. Blood group-typing is not necessary in other patient groups. Although no Rh-antibodies were demonstrable, a similar mechanism can be postulated for the Rh-system. We, thus, conclude that in allogeneic bone tx in young women the Rh-system has to be taken into consideration.