RTI Surgical, a global surgical implant company providing surgeons with safe biologic, metal and synthetic implants, commends the recent work of the American Dental Association (ADA) to improve track and trace of tissue implants used in dental surgeries. The ADA has released a technical report that will help to improve tracking and tracing within this critical area of healthcare, and RTI Surgical is proud to have worked with the ADA on this important effort.

The proposed Technical Report (TR) 1089, “Track and Trace for Human Cells, Tissues, and Cellular and Tissue-Based Products (HCT/Ps),” defines inventory management requirements in dental practices for HCT/Ps to ensure traceability from the donor to the recipient and the recipient to the donor. Its intent is also to facilitate reporting of potential adverse reactions to all parties involved in processing the HCT/P.

HCT/Ps are used in more than a million medical and dental procedures per year, including bone and gum grafting and repair, among many others. Most of these services are routinely performed in dental practices, hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers (ASC) and other medical facilities.

While requirements exist for tissue banks and many health care facilities to have validated processes in place to track and trace HCT/Ps, there is a lack of appropriate standardized identification standards and a mechanism by which to collect, store and share HCT/P data for public health, clinical and research purposes. Not only will this data be useful for public health, clinical and research purposes, it will also improve tissue banks’ efforts to connect donor families with recipients.

“RTI has been working diligently, both individually and with the tissue banking community, to enhance and extend the requirements for standardized tracking and tracing of these important tissue implants. Making these important connections enhances donation and tissue transplantation,” said Brian K. Hutchison, RTI president and CEO. “We anticipate TR 1089 will have far-reaching impact, given its applicability to other health care settings.”

RTI Surgical
rtix.com

American Dental Association
ada.org