Allograft
Bone graft material derived from a human donor (cadaveric or living), processed and sterilised for transplantation into a recipient patient at an implant site.
Full Definition
An allograft is bone tissue obtained from a donor of the same species (human) but a different individual, typically sourced from a certified tissue bank. In implantology, allografts are supplied in various forms including freeze-dried bone allograft (FDBA) and demineralised freeze-dried bone allograft (DFDBA), and are used to augment deficient alveolar bone prior to or concurrent with implant placement. Unlike autografts, allografts carry no osteogenic potential (no living cells), but may retain osteoinductive properties depending on processing method. Editors frequently encounter confusion between allograft, autograft, and xenograft; these terms are not interchangeable and must be precisely applied. The abbreviations FDBA and DFDBA should be expanded on first use.
Usage
Usage note: Never use interchangeably with autograft or xenograft. Expand FDBA and DFDBA on first use. Specify tissue bank and processing method in clinical manuscripts where required by journal policy.
In Context
- "FDBA allograft was mixed with the patient's own blood and packed into the extraction socket before immediate implant placement." — Surgical technique article
- "The author had used 'allograft' where the source material was bovine-derived; this was corrected to 'xenograft' following author confirmation." — Copy-editing correction log