Contaminated Bone and Tissue Scandal
Mark Zamora of A Georgia Lawyer points to a Philadelphia Daily News article on the widening bone scandal:
Biomedical sold parts to unknowing tissue banks across the country that used them for tissue transplants for trusting patients, Brooklyn prosecutors said. Some of the parts also were turned into bone paste, skin grafts and dental implants. …
The D.A.'s office is investigating how many Philly corpses were dissected, how much money was exchanged for the work, and how several funeral homes began a contractual relationship with BTS.
What’s the big deal? Contaminated bones can create a host of problems for the recipient. At the Southern Trial Lawyer’s Convention, Don Keenan gave the analogy “Picture leaving hamburger out on the counter for 16 hours. There is no way you could properly prepare it, that it would be fit to eat.” That’s what they’re doing with the contaminated transplants. Once the tissue and bone is contaminated, there is no way to make it suitable for use. Check out Mark’s blog for more info.
Thanks for the write up! Remember our lunch at Commander's that day, we discussed it there.
