An allograft is a type of tissue transplant where tissue is taken from one person and transplanted into another person of the same species. Allografts are used in a variety of medical procedures to save lives, repair limbs, relieve pain, or improve a patients quality of life. Examples of allografts include bone, tendons, ligaments, heart valves, veins, and corneal (eye) allografts. Allografts have been successfully used in various medical procedures for more than 150 years.

Allograft tissue takes longer to incorporate into the recipients body compared to autograft tissue, which is a patients own tissue that can often be used for a surgical reconstruction procedure. However, there is no second surgical site to heal when using allograft tissue, and the surgical time and hospital stay may be shorter. Allograft tissue transplants are not rejected by the body as with organ transplants, so it is not necessary to use drugs to suppress the bodys immune response.

Tissue donation is a gift given to improve the quality of life for others, and it is strictly voluntary. The donor or their family must consent to the donation. After processing, allografts are inspected, packaged, and then preserved by freezing or freeze-drying. A licensed physician with specific qualifications and experience in tissue banking must determine the donor to be eligible based on a review of the donors records before tissue is released for transplant. The FDA has closely regulated this field since 1993 and made continual improvements to all stages of the process. Studies show that the risk of transmitting HIV through allograft is less than 1 in 1.67 million.