GTB Hospital becomes first in Delhi-NCR to get bone bank

NEW DELHI: Delhi Health Minister Satyender Jain on Saturday inaugurated the first ever bone bank at Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital here.

The Minister said that the hospital will soon earn the distinction of being the first government-run hospital in Delhi-NCR to get its own bone bank, a move that is set to revolutionalise orthopaedic medicine in the national Capital.

Bone banks are essential for providing biological material for different orthopaedic procedures, ranging from high-energy trauma cases to arthroplasty procedures such as replacement of the hip, joints, knee etc.

The biological material is usually used for medical, biotechnology and pharmaceutical applications.

These biocompatible materials – present inside each living organism – consist of a whole or a part of the living structure or biomedical device, which replaces a natural body function.

The hospital administrative official said that orthopedic doctors explained that bone banks are essential for transplantation and the development of new surgical techniques.

"Losses of musculoskeletal tissue or bone due to different situations have become common, especially with the longevity of population and surgical conditions, even in younger patients," a senior orthopedic doctor at the hospital said.

He further explained that the best material for replacing bone losses is extracted from the individual himself or herself.

"However, often there are donor site complications, such as increased duration of surgery, bleeding or fractures…," said the doctor.

India's first cadaveric bone bank was opened in 1999. However, it had received only 24 cadaver donations till May 2017. The donated bones could be used to fill cavities left by major surgeries. It can also be used to replace a lost segment of bone, infection or cancer.

Meanwhile, sources from the Health Ministry said that only after the Delhi government obtains a license will the bone bank unit be considered functional.