Researchers at the University of Missouri School of Medicine in Columbia have developed a new technique to prolong the viability of tissue donated for joint replacements, according to a Medical Xpress report.
The Missouri Osteochondral Allograft Preservation System is designed to double the shelf life of bone and cartilage grafts, according to the report. Current storage time is approximately 28 days, while the MOPS technique allows for at least 60 days of storage. MOPS also allows tissue to be stored at room temperature.
James Stannard, MD, the J Vernon Luck Sr. Distinguished Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at MU School of Medicine, and James Cook, DVM, PhD, director of MU's Comparative Orthopaedic Laboratory and Missouri Orthopaedic Institute's Division of Research, led the study.