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Rheumatology Advance Access published online on June 27, 2003
Rheumatology, doi:10.1093/rheumatology/keg406
Rheumatology © British Society for Rheumatology 2003; all rights reserved
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© 2003 Rheumatology 42 © British Society for Rheumatology 2003; all rights reserved

Original Papers

Post-mortem collection of human joint tissues for research

D. A. Walsh 1* and D. Wilson 2

1 Rheumatology, King's Mill Hospital, Mansfield Road, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, UK; Academic Rheumatology, University of Nottingham Clinical Sciences Building, City Hospital, Hucknall Road, Nottingham, UK
2 Rheumatology, King's Mill Hospital, Mansfield Road, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, UK

* Corresponding author. E-mail: david.walsh{at}nottingham.ac.uk.

Received 21 November 2002 ; accepted 17 April 2003

Abstract

Objective. A feasibility study aiming to obtain post-mortem knee joint tissues from 10 donors for research.

Methods. Next of kin were approached by bereavement officers then informed about the project by the study nurse. Written consent was sought to collect bone, cartilage and soft tissue from both knees, and to extract data from medical notes.

Results. During the 4-month study period 259 families attended the King's Mill Hospital Bereavement Centre, 36 of whom met with the study nurse, 10 of whom consented to joint tissue collecting. The process of seeking consent required approximately 1 h of direct contact. Participants often looked to this as an extension of the bereavement counselling process and many expressed gratitude that some good might be derived from the death. Reasons for non-recruitment included operational restraints and relatives' distress. Donors were more likely to be male (90%) than were non-donors (49%, Z = -2.6, P < 0.01). Coroner's post-mortem examinations took place on similar proportions of donors (20%) and non-donors (19%, Z = -0.06, P = 0.96).

Conclusions. Post-mortem joint tissue collection for research remains feasible in the presence of a skilled, well co-ordinated, multidisciplinary team, even when post-mortem examination would not otherwise be required.

Key words: Post-mortem, Tissue, Ethics, Arthritis, Consent.
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