Who We Are
An Overview…
Established in 1993, the Perth Bone & Tissue Bank is the only one of its kind in Western Australia…..an independent, charitable organisation working daily to improve the quality of life of all ages.
Its primary role is to collect, screen, store and distribute donated human bone and tissue grafts for transplant purposes. Key surgical procedures assisted by the Perth Bone & Tissue Bank (PBTB) include spinal surgery for children and teenagers, hip and knee surgery, bone tumors and repair of bone defects.
PBTB is also an industry leader in bone and tissue graft and transplant research. Extensive work has already been carried out in a number of medical areas and has been internationally recognised. Click here to find out more about our research.
Bone and tissue donations collected by PBTB have enhanced lives not only in Western Australia but across the nation.
Our staff are dedicated, caring, understanding and the ultimate professionals. We have specially trained Donor Liaison personnel to clearly explain our collection and transplant procedures to both donors and recipients.
We also enjoy the support of a wonderful army of volunteers committed to fundraising and promotion aimed at spreading the word about the Perth Bone & Tissue Bank.
Currently located in leased premises within the Perth Orthopaedic Institute at Hollywood Private Hospital, a major focus of coming years is to build our own specifically designed, dedicated tissue and bone processing facility so we may offer donors, recipients and staff a state-of-the art home in which our invaluable medical work can continue and prosper.
Helping People…….Changing Lives……..Making a Difference
Donated bone and tissue can be life changing for both donors and recipients. Bone graft procedures are very common, second only in number to blood transfusions. The demand for human bone graft materials continues to grow rapidly… the impact is both wide-ranging and vital.
Bone donation is voluntary and there is no cost to the donor. There are two key types of donations:
Patients undergoing hip replacement surgery may donate the ball part of the joint (femoral head) which otherwise would be discarded. This bone is tested, stored and used for surgical procedures such as bone grafts for spinal surgery, bone tumours, hip revisions and many other orthopaedic procedures. There is no age restriction for this type of donation.
‘Your kindness could change a life’
The other key type of donation of bone and tissue may come after death. People aged 15 to 65 years of age who indicate a wish to donate organs and/or tissue after death may do so with the consent of next of kin.
For more information on the process of bone and tissue donation and how you can either help or benefit please click here.
Our History…..
The Perth Bone & Tissue Bank (PBTB) is an independent, incorporated, not-for-profit organisation that retrieves donated bone that is extensively tested, processed and stored until needed in a wide variety of orthopaedic procedures.
In October 1992, the PBTB was incorporated under the Associations Incorporation Act 1987. It is the only bone bank in Western Australia and operates at premises on the grounds of Hollywood Private Hospital.
The bone bank’s first premises in 1993 was an office in the laboratory of the University Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the then Queen Elizabeth Medical Centre. Two freezers to store the donated bone and tissue were also in place in a small cottage at the rear of Hollywood Private Hospital.
Later in 1993, after a generous start-up grant of $223,500 from the Lotteries Commission the PBTB relocated to a laboratory at the Royal Perth Rehabilitation Hospital in Shenton Park. A further Lotteries Commission grant of $200,000 in 1998 then enabled the bank to move to refurbished premises at the Hollywood Private Hospital campus in Nedlands. This facility includes a clean room for graft processing, making the bone and tissue bank now largely self-sufficient.
As understanding of the importance of the Perth Bone and Tissue Bank’s work continues to grow and the wider community ever-increasingly becomes aware of the valuable work we carry out, so demand for our services continually expands.
Our focus now is to raise the support and funds to develop a world class facility. This project would not only allow us to offer purpose built facilities to enhance the collection, storage, processing and transplanting of our bone and tissue but as importantly ensure that ongoing research and technological achievements continue to be a key platform of the Perth Bone & Tissue Bank.
For more information on our research projects and achievements please click here.
Our Values:
…honesty…integrity…fairness…respect
We strive daily – both professionally and personally – to achieve and support the core values of the Perth Bone and Tissue Bank. We have a total commitment to these values and they are integral to the way we carry out our business for our clients, our staff and our organisation.
We pride ourselves on being compassionate, responsible and professional. The ethical management of donated human tissue is based on excellence and equality. Client support is vital and client confidentiality treasured and ensured. We strive for transparency in all aspects of our operations, including financial, regulatory and innovation.
We are an incorporated organisation, with a staff base of 16. We operate daily under the guidance of a Managing Director and are answerable to a Board of Management made up of staff, medical specialists and supporters offering various avenues of expertise in management, finances and corporate structure. We are also wonderfully supported by a large base of volunteers.
To contact us direct please click here.