bone marrow transplant

bone marrow transplant

n.

A technique in which bone marrow is transplanted from one individual to another, or removed from and transplanted to the same individual, in order to stimulate production of blood cells. It is used to treat malignancies, certain forms of anemia, and immunologic deficiencies.

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

bone marrow transplant

A means of providing a recipient with a new set of blood-forming cells from which a continuing supply of healthy new red and white blood cells can be derived. Marrow is sucked out of the marrow cavity of the pelvis or breastbone of the donor and injected into one of the recipient's veins.

Collins Dictionary of Medicine © Robert M. Youngson 2004, 2005

Bone marrow transplant

Healthy marrow is infused into people who have had high-dose chemotherapy for one of the many forms of leukemias, immunodeficiencies, lymphomas, anemias, metabolic disorders, and sometimes solid tumors.

Mentioned in: Aplastic Anemia, Bone Marrow Transplantation

Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Patient discussion about bone marrow transplant

Q. What is a bone marrow transplant? I wanted to enter myself as a potential bone marrow donor and wanted to know first of all what bone marrow is? What does a bone marrow transplant mean and how is it done?

A. Bone marrow is a soft, fatty tissue inside the bones. This is where blood cells are produced, and where they develop. Transplanted bone marrow will restore production of white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. Donated bone marrow must match the patient's tissue type. It can be taken from the patient, a living relative (usually a brother or a sister), or from an unrelated donor. Donors are matched through special blood tests called HLA tissue typing. Bone marrow is taken from the donor in the operating room while the donor is unconscious and pain-free (under general anesthesia). Some of the donor's bone marrow is removed from the top of the hip bone. The bone marrow is filtered, treated, and transplanted immediately or frozen and stored for later use. Transplant marrow is transfused into the patient through a vein (IV) and is naturally carried into the bone cavities where it grows to replace the old bone marrow.

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