Glossary of hand transplant terms

brain dead donor - total and irreversible damage to vital areas in the brain.

CTA - composite tissue allotransplantation; refers to multiple tissues transplanted from human to human. These include nerves, skin, muscles, tendons, bones, cartilage, and fat.

Cyclosporine - drug introduced in the early 1980s, used as an immunosuppressant to allow a transplant recipient¹s body to accept an organ.

extrinsic function - function of the large muscle in the forearm, which participates in straightening and bending the fingers.

FK506 - drug used as an immunosuppressant to allow a transplant recipient¹s body to accept an organ.

graft vs. host disease - relating to the bodily condition that results when cells from a tissue or organ transplant mount an immunological attack against the cells or tissues of the host.

ischemia - deficiency of blood in a body part, usually due to functional constriction or actual obstruction of a blood vessel.

immunosuppressant - an agent capable of suppressing immune responses to allow the body to accept an organ.

intrinsic function - fine motor function produced from the small muscles within the hand itself.

KODA - Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates; federally designated organ procurement agency for the state of Kentucky, southern Indiana, and western West Virginia. (Web site address - www.kodaorgan.com)

local - restricted to or pertaining to one spot or part of the body; not general.

replantation - the reattachment of an organ or other structure, such as a digit, limb, or tooth, to the site from which it was previously lost or removed.

sensory function - ability to perceive a physical stimulus (light, heat, pressure, etc.).

systemic - pertaining to or affecting the body as a whole.

transplant - the transfer of tissues taken from the patient¹s own body or from another.

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