LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--OneLegacy, the nation’s largest organ, eye and tissue procurement organization, has expanded its reach of helping more people lead healthier lives through its new commitment to provide fresh, “living” cartilage to the nonprofit JRF Ortho. This cartilage, which can be used by surgeons throughout the world, will allow more people to walk and will allow young athletes to more easily continue to pursue their passion.
“There is an incredible need for fresh tissue from young donors that can be placed in the knee, ankle or other joints of waiting patients to dramatically improve movement and quality of life,” said Diane Wilson, chairman of the board of JRF Ortho. “Thankfully OneLegacy has stepped up to meet this challenge, and because of them we can expect to see superior clinical results and even more positive patient outcomes from those we serve.”
Fresh tissue—that which is not frozen or embedded in preservatives—can be used to replace and repair defects in articulating joints or torn or damaged meniscus. In many cases fresh grafts allow mobility that couldn’t be accomplished with alternate grafts or prostheses. The challenge is that these live, living cells need to be transplanted within 28 days of processing; and few organizations have been able to make the commitment to achieve that high standard. Now OneLegacy has.
“The use of fresh graphs and live tissue in cartilage joint repair will help people regain movement and improve their quality of life while allowing athletes to get back in the game more quickly,” said OneLegacy Chief Operating Officer Prasad Garimella. “Through this we are able to maximize the gift of donation and continue to fulfill the shared mission of OneLegacy and JRF Ortho.”
Through its relationship with AlloSource and Community Tissue Services, JRF Ortho offers the largest selection of specialized high-viability fresh osteochondral grafts, tendons and menisci in the industry. The provision of fresh cartilage from OneLegacy to JRF Ortho is the latest chapter in the ongoing relationship between these two organizations—in 2018 alone more than 150 grafts provided by OneLegacy for cartilage joint-repair surgery have been distributed to surgeons and waiting patients throughout California.
In partnering with JRF Ortho, the largest provider of fresh (live) osteochondral allografts, One Legacy is able to help with the growing need for cartilage transplants. Subsequently, JRF Ortho places more grafts for potential patients improving their quality of life. These patients are at risk of developing more serious conditions involving more invasive procedures if they are not able to be treated quickly.
“The need for these life-enhancing grafts has grown dramatically as surgeons continue to experience successful patient outcomes,” said Garimella. “We are happy to do our part in expanding the availability of these grafts and providing increased opportunities for recipients in our donor communities.”
OneLegacy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving and healing lives through organ, eye and tissue donation in seven counties in Southern California: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara and Kern. Serving more than 200 hospitals, 11 transplant centers and a diverse population of nearly 20 million, OneLegacy is the largest organ, eye and tissue recovery organization in the world. For more information, visit onelegacy.org, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
