The first operational Bone Bank in Eastern India was established when CK Birla Hospitals– CMRI, Kolkata, announced the opening of a dedicated Bone Bank. Designed in conformity with national and international standards, the Bone Bank greatly boosts the hospital’s musculoskeletal, trauma, cancer, and reconstructive surgical capabilities by assuring a stable and high-quality source of bone allografts.

In contemporary surgical practice, bone banks are essential. They offer timely availability of safe, well-processed grafts that undergo thorough donor screening, microbiological testing, verified sterilization, and traceability at every stage. The Bone Bank at CMRI seeks to enhance surgical results, operating-room efficiency, and patient recovery by decreasing reliance on autograft harvesting, a procedure linked to extra surgical time, donor-site pain, restricted graft volume, and increased morbidity.

The facility will provide a full spectrum of graft types, including structural graft corticocancellous blocks, morselised grafts, and cancellous chips, enabling surgeons to select the most suited solution depending on clinical necessity. The availability of off-the-shelf grafts is likely to expand reconstructive alternatives for patients having tumour resections, difficult fracture repairs, nonunion procedures, spinal fusions, or deformity corrections.

Dr. Rakesh Rajput, HOD & Director, Orthopaedics, CK Birla Hospitals – CMRI, Kolkata, said, “A specialized bone bank is required for advanced orthopaedic reconstruction. Bone allografts enable us to restore structure and stability in situations like difficult fractures, nonunion, tumor resections, and deformity corrections without putting patients through the additional stress of autograft harvesting. The advantages are significant – shorter operating time, lower perioperative morbidity, higher graft volume availability, and improved overall results. A well-managed bone bank guarantees that every graft has undergone thorough screening, standardized processing, sterilization, and documentation, providing surgeons with the assurance to carry out difficult treatments with accuracy. This project is a significant step in providing patients in our area with safe, moral, and excellent reconstructive therapy”.

The launch event was graced by esteemed dignitaries like Shri N. S. Nigam, Principal Secretary, Health & Family Welfare Department, West Bengal; Dr. Swapan Saren, Director of Health Services, West Bengal; and Prof. (Dr.) Indrajit Saha, Director of Medical Education, West Bengal, and Dr. Anirudha Neogi, Ex-Special Secretary, Medical Education.

A particular acknowledgment was made to Prof. (Dr.) Ajoy S. M, Senior Consultant at Ramaiah Medical College & Hospitals and Coordinator of the Ramaiah Tissue Bank, whose technical guidance was important in the development of CMRI’s Bone Bank. His significant knowledge in tissue banking and quality control played a vital role in developing the facility’s operational framework and assuring adherence to national standards.

The Bone Bank will also support research, surgical training, and innovation within CK Birla Hospitals – CMRI. It will assist resident education, simulation-based learning, and comparative study on graft performance and processing procedures. The facility is well-positioned to develop into a regional center for the ethical and safe acquisition, processing, and distribution of bones thanks to its skilled staff, verified procedures, and secure cold-chain management.

Priyanka Dutta