The Hip or Femoral Head Donation Program allows patients having routine hip replacement surgery to donate their bone. The piece of bone removed during surgery (the femoral head) would normally be discarded, but by donating the this bone, bone grafts can be made which will help up to 4 people with various types of orthopaedic and spinal injuries.
Hip Donation
Are You Having A Hip Replacement?
Donate your femoral head and make a difference.
How Can You Make A Difference?
To donate your hip you will need to be between 15 and 90 years old. After blood, bone is the second most commonly transplanted tissue in the world. Your bone will be crafted into life changing “allograft” material, which will help others who need the following types of treatment:
- Surgery for bone cancers in children and adults
- Neuro-spinal surgeries
- Treatment of non-healing fractures
- Joint replacement and other orthopaedic surgeries
- Patients with major bone loss
- Spinal and sports injuries
During the surgical procedure, blood will be taken for routine screening tests. This is similar to when you donate blood. All details provided to us remain 100% confidential. If you have travelled to or spent 6 months or more in a known malaria endemic region, you may be required to undergo further blood tests.
This is a community service, there is no change to your surgery and there are no additional costs to you or the hospital.
How You Can Donate
The decision to become a bone donor or any type of donor is a personal one and you should inform your surgeon of your wishes to donate your hip.
You will need to complete and sign the consent form contained in the link below. A staff member from Australian Tissue Donation Network will contact you to complete a confidential medical and social history questionnaire. They will also provide you with any other information you may require. Completing this information will allow us to arrange for your bone to be collected and stored.
Thank you for giving your time and consideration to making a tissue donation for the benefit of other Australians.
Change People’s Lives for the Better
Most people who undergo a hip replacement operation aren’t aware that they can be living donors. You can make a femoral head donation while you’re undergoing surgery on your hip joint. Since the bone is removed during the procedure and often discarded, you can choose to donate it to patients who need it.
These usually discarded Femoral Heads can improve the quality of life for a wide range of people. These tissues can be turned into bone grafts (allografts) to treat orthopaedic and spinal injuries.
Who benefits from bone donation?
A large number of patients can benefit from donated tissues. The bones, which will be turned into allograft, can be used in the following conditions:
- Non-healing fractures
- Spinal injuries
- Sports injuries
- Joint replacement surgeries
- Orthopaedic surgeries
- Neuro-spinal surgeries
- Chronic bone loss
- Dental or facial injuries
Who can donate femoral heads?
Femoral heads can be donated by living donors undergoing hip replacement surgery. You’re eligible to make a bone donation if you’re between 16 and 90 years of age.
During the procedure, your blood will be drawn for screening tests similar to blood donation. If you’ve recently travelled to or lived in a malaria-endemic region for six months or more, you might be required to undergo further tests.
All of your personal details and information will be kept confidential.
Are there added risks to hip donation?
For living donors, a hip donation will be performed at the same time as the hip surgery. When you choose to make a bone donation, there won’t be any changes or added risks to the procedure.
Will there be additional costs to make a tissue donation?
A donor won’t incur any additional costs to donate their tissue and help others. The tissue donation procedure is a community service and won’t cost you or your hospital.
Deceased Organ and Tissue Donation
Organ and tissue donation can improve the quality of life of thousands of people across the country. If you aren’t going to undergo surgery, but you’re hoping to make organ and tissue donations after you pass away, talk to a healthcare professional. It’s best to educate yourself first so that you can make well-informed decisions.
In the case of deceased donors, the next of kin will be asked to confirm their decision. The organ and tissue donation process can’t proceed without their consent. Most of the time, families will uphold the donor’s wishes.
Please make sure to talk to your family and inform them about your organ and tissue donation decisions or wishes.
Living Organ and Tissue Donation
If you’re having hip replacement surgery, make sure to inform your doctor about your donation decision. You can also fill in the consent form provided below for tissue donation.
Our staff at the Australian Tissue Donation Network will get in touch with you to ask about your medical and social history. You might also be asked to provide other necessary information for the donation process.
How to become a tissue donor
Organ and tissue donation is a personal commitment and an altruistic act. At ATDN, we are grateful for your time and consideration to become a donor.