Korea Public Tissue Bank Provides Free Bone Graft to Osteosarcoma Patient

The Korea Public Tissue Bank announced on May 14 that it had conducted its second free distribution of human tissues last month as part of the "Hope Sharing of Human Tissues" project.

The "Hope Sharing of Human Tissues" project aims to expand treatment opportunities and promote health equity by providing human tissue grafts?such as bone, amniotic membrane, and nerves?free of charge to patients who meet medical or social criteria (including persons with disabilities or severe illnesses with household income at or below 180% of the median, and national merit recipients).

This round of free distribution supported the surgery of patient A, who was suffering from osteosarcoma, performed by Professor Han Ilgyu of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Seoul National University Hospital. The patient required a wide excision and artificial joint replacement. The tibial bone graft used in the surgery was provided by the Korea Public Tissue Bank through the hospital’s medical social work team and medical staff.

Professor Han stated, "The tibial bone used in the surgery played an essential role in restoring the patient's leg function to near normal. It is highly meaningful that such grafts are provided through public support. I expect that the continued free distribution of grafts will further contribute to improving the quality of life for more patients by expanding treatment opportunities."

The guardian of patient A also expressed gratitude, saying, "The patient underwent surgery successfully and is recovering." It was reported that this support provided not only the patient but also the family with emotional comfort and financial relief.

The Korea Public Tissue Bank was established in 2017 as a public institution under the Ministry of Health and Welfare to manage human tissue grafts for public benefit. The bank is responsible for the public collection of human tissues donated through tissue donation support organizations, processing them, and distributing them to medical institutions.

Lee Hyunghoon, president of the Korea Public Tissue Bank, said, "We will continue to strengthen the public distribution system for human tissues so that free support and other assistance can provide practical help to patients in need, thereby contributing to the improvement of public health."