Bridging long bone and joint defects with allogeneic vascularized transplants

: Three patients with large osseous defects following trauma and infection received vascularized allogeneic femoral diaphyses and five patients vascularized allogeneic total knee joints. From the surgical aspect these transplantations are technically feasible. The remaining problems are of immunological nature; at least in patients with allogeneic synovial joints, lifelong immunosuppression seems to be currently unavoidable.