This is the most comprehensive volume dealing with tissue banking presently available, with 27 contributions from the most distinguished and experienced practitioners in the field: surgeons, microbiologists and tissue bankers. Safety of allografts is now a major concern due to possible microbial and viral contamination of tissues, even in the most sophisticated centres. Thus, publication here of the International Atomic Energy Agency's Code of Practice for the Radiation Sterilisation of Tissues is important, as is their guidance on Standards and Public Awareness regarding this often misunderstood technology. The volume spans all the methodologies used in the field and covers a spectrum of tissues: bone, skin, cardiovascular grafts, corneal grafts and sperm banking. Of particular interest in these days of gigantic disasters is the evaluation of the value of an effective tissue bank during the Volendam burns disaster in the Netherlands and the horrific disaster in "Messa Redonda" Peru. Orthopaedics, as usual, has the premier usage of tissues and this volume is graced by a landmark contribution from that doyen of massive allograft surgery, Henry Mankin. Balancing out the US experience is a contribution from Russia, which outlines new approaches to using allograft and autograft bone. The motivation for such a comprehensive volume came at the congress held in Boston, which drew together all the international associations of tissue banking: American, Asia-Pacific, Latin American and European. The whole world has been harnessed to construct this outstanding and historic volume.