Impacted morsellised donor bone is succesfully used to treat bone loss in revision total hip arthroplasties. After implantation new bone is formed in the donor bone. It is generally thought, but not proven, that the processing and storage at −80°C of the donor bone kills all cells. There is however general concern about viral, bacterial, and/or oncogenetic contamination with donor bone. Based on these considerations it is essential to know whether the donor bone does contain viable bone cells.

Fragmented biopsies from eleven femoral heads from our bone bank, which is processed according to the Musculo-skeletal Council of the American Associations of Tissue Banks (AATB) and the European Association of Musculo Skeletal Transaplantation (EAMST), were tested for their capacity to give rise to proliferating cells in vitro. This was repeated with five other femoral heads from the same bone bank after irradiation. Microscopic analysis of cell growth, aspect, and number was performed on the established cell cultures. DNA marker analysis of the cultured cells and freshly obtained buccal cells from the donor was done in order to verify the origin of the cultured cells.

All fragmented biopsies showed cell growth. Cell outgrowth time as well as cell number varied between donors, and was independent of the length of storage time at −80°C. No cell outgrowth was observed from irradiated bone. DNA marker analysis showed identical alleles for cultured cells from frozen bone and DNA from freshly obtained unfrozen buccal cells from the donor.

Biopsies from femoral heads from a bone bank according to the AATB and the EAMST contain living bone cells with growth capacity. It is unclear which role these vital cells play in the process of new bone formation in the donor bed, or in the risk of contamination.