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Review
. 2016 Apr 28;8(4):355-69.
doi: 10.4329/wjr.v8.i4.355.

Radiation sterilization of tissue allografts: A review

Rita Singh  1 , Durgeshwer Singh  1 , Antaryami Singh  1
Affiliations
Review

Radiation sterilization of tissue allografts: A review

Rita Singh et al. World J Radiol. .

Abstract

Tissue substitutes are required in a number of clinical conditions for treatment of injured and diseased tissues. Tissues like bone, skin, amniotic membrane and soft tissues obtained from human donor can be used for repair or reconstruction of the injured part of the body. Allograft tissues from human donor provide an excellent alternative to autografts. However, major concern with the use of allografts is the risk of infectious disease transmission. Therefore, tissue allografts should be sterilized to make them safe for clinical use. Gamma radiation has several advantages and is the most suitable method for sterilization of biological tissues. This review summarizes the use of gamma irradiation technology as an effective method for sterilization of biological tissues and ensuring safety of tissue allografts.

Keywords: Allografts; Gamma radiation; Microbial contamination; Sterilization; Tissues.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Bone allografts. A: Bone collection from cadaveric donor; B: Cortical bone; C: Femoral heads excised during surgery; D: Processed bone allografts.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Soft tissue allografts. A: Tendon allografts collected from cadaveric donor; B: Processed tendon allograft.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Allograft skin. A: Cadaveric donor; B: Skin collected from cadaveric donor; C: Processed allograft skin.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Amniotic membrane. A: Collection of amniotic tissue from placenta; B: Processed amniotic membrane dressing.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Types of DNA damage by ionizing radiation. A: Intrastrand crosslink; B: SSB; C: Base deamination; D: Interstrand crosslink; E: Sugar residue alteration; F: Abasic site and hydrogen breakage; G: Base oxidation; H: DSB; I: CLP. SSB: Single strand break; DSB: Double strand break; CLP: Crosslinking protein.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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