For a quarter century, Centennial, Colorado-based AlloSource has now been advancing the science of tissues transplanted from one person to another for use in medical treatments (otherwise known as allografts) including those with living cells.
Since 1994, this remarkable group of organ procurement organizations and its Colorado based-processor have been honoring the precious gift of tissue donation by making sure that each donation reaches the maximum number of patients and is not only safe but will function properly in order to get patients out of the hospital and back to their lives.
As can be said about most all of the companies in this remarkable segment of the musculoskeletal community, they facilitate the best intentions of this country’s Good Samaritans.
History Rooted in Tissue Donation and Transplantation
Over its entire history, AlloSource has been a “nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the science and use of transplantable allogeneic cells and tissue through pioneering research in regenerative therapies.” AlloSource “offers life-saving and life-enhancing solutions in orthopedic, spine, burn and wound procedures to help restore patient health and mobility.”
AlloSource is one of the largest tissue processers in the world taking in more than 200 types of bone, skin, soft-tissue and custom allografts in order to serve communities nationally and internationally, including North and South America, Latin America, the European Union and the Asian Pacific Rim.
OTW spoke with Ross Wilkins, M.D. about AlloSource’s history. Dr. Wilkins is the Senior Medical Director for AlloSource and Chairman of AlloSource’s Medical Advisory Board. He is also Chairman and Founder of the Limb Preservation Foundation and a Faculty Member at Colorado State University Animal Center. An orthopedic oncologist by training, Dr. Wilkins is recognized as a limb preservation expert, as well as an expert on bone and soft tissue tumors and bone transplantation, both nationally and internationally.
Dr. Wilkins shared with OTW that AlloSource began as the Mile High Transplant Bank—a “fledgling tissue bank” in 1984. The tissue bank had high standards for procurement and care and, according to Dr. Wilkins, over time people began seeking out their high-level of care, so the organization grew. This initial regional tissue bank slowly developed into a “sophisticated tissue and processing facility,” addressing orthopedic, reconstructive, and even neurosurgical needs.
Three federally licensed Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) came together with the idea to merge and operate as a cooperative. This was a “totally unique” corporate structure said Dr.Wilkins. The owners of AlloSource—or “members”—would be the organizations who provided the tissue through their donors.
AlloSource was born.
