Honors Theses and Capstones

Date of Award

Spring 2016

Project Type

Senior Honors Thesis

College or School

COLSA

Department

Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences

Program or Major

Biomedical Microbiology

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

First Advisor

Thomas Pistole

Abstract

Athletes and their doctors have the choice of using an allograft or autograft in reconstruction surgeries. The purpose of this study is to see if there is a difference in the healing mechanism and surgical outcome in using an allograft or autograft during orthopedic surgical procedures, as well as to analyze graft rejection and disease transmission through donor tissue.

Doctors and athletic trainers were interviewed in order to learn about the healing mechanisms and advantages and disadvantages of allografts and autografts in order to conclude if one was better than the other. College level athletes on different sports teams were given a questionnaire that asked questions on the surgical procedure they got and whether or not the surgeon used an allograft or autograft. Specific questions relating to recovery time, stability, and overall function of the area of surgery were asked in order to analyze the outcome. The subjects were screened by choosing athletes with the same surgical reconstruction except one using an allograft and one using an autograft. The questions relating to the outcome of the surgery were compared in order to see if one produced a better outcome over the other. Athletes were found to have better success with autograft as predicted by doctors.

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