[Tissue grafts: an activity concerning many patients].

Tissue allografts mainly include corneas, bone (and cartilage, tendon, ligament, aponevrosis), skin, vessels and cardiac valves. All these grafts have been widely used for many years and were the subject of a large number of experimental and clinical studies. The different steps allowing the obtention of different tissue allografts have in fact a common organization through tissue procurement and banking activities. Tissue banks have a central situation ensuring security, safety, traceability and distribution of tissues. Appropriate organization of the banks, and respect of high level standards are thus mandatory. Tissue transplantation activity in France has been studied through national surveys: they concern more than 600 hospitals and clinics, and grafts procured in France (excluding imported allografts) are around 15,000 a year. Precise regulation implied by the bioethical law published in 1994 and homogeneous organization of the activity allow the use of stringent and regularly updated standards, allowing the distribution to the patients of safe grafts procured in ethical conditions. The actual shortage of tissue allografts in France implies increasing procurement through a better organization of retrieval in hospitals and clinics and donation promotion.