Cryopreservation and transplantation of amputated finger

Abstract Every year tens of millions reconstruction surgeries were performed to repair tissue defects caused by trauma or malignant tumor. As the composite tissues are very difficult to be preserved for a long time in vitro, “organ bank” was proposed. In addition to immune rejection, tissue cryopreservation is the key step of the “Organ Bank”. In this study, two severed fingers were cryopreserved because the patients’ conditions were not allowed to undergo the replantation immediately. The fingers were perfused with the cryopreservation solution through the digital artery at a speed of 1 ml/min, they were frozen following a control rate freezing procedure and stored in the liquid nitrogen. One finger was cryopreserved for 10 days and the other for 30 days. Both fingers were successfully replanted when the patient get better. After 1 year follow-up, the replanted fingers achieved satisfactory appearance and function. Our result demonstrate small composite tissues such as severed fingers can be cryopreserved and replanted successfully, which will help the patients who cannot receive the replantation immediately. This method will have important application value in cryobiology and clinical medicine.