What kind of tissues can be transplanted?
Currently transplanted human tissues include bone, corneas, skin, heart valves, veins, cartilage and other connective tissues. These tissues can be used to treat patients suffering from congenital defects, blindness, visual impairment, trauma, burns, dental defects, arthritis, cancer, vascular and heart disease. Many heart valves are used to treat children with congenital defects of their own heart valves. Tissue transplantation can be lifesaving as in the case of serious burn injury (skin grafts) or heart valve replacement. More often, however, tissue transplantation is life-enhancing. Giving the gift of sight to someone who would otherwise be blind or repairing a bone injured due to trauma or disease are life-enhancing benefits of tissue transplantation.
