What do you call the procedure for obtaining bone marrow from a donor?

The procedure for obtaining bone marrow from a donor is known as bone marrow harvesting. This process involves collecting hematopoietic (blood-forming) stem cells from the bone marrow, typically from the pelvis, which can then be used for transplantation to treat various conditions, such as blood disorders or cancers.

Bone marrow harvesting is specifically designed to extract a significant number of stem cells in a single procedure. This distinguishes it from other procedures, such as bone marrow aspiration, which primarily involves taking a small sample of bone marrow fluid for diagnostic purposes rather than collecting a larger volume for therapeutic use.

Understanding this procedure is crucial in the context of transplant medicine, as successful bone marrow transplantation can depend on the quality and quantity of the harvested stem cells. This makes bone marrow harvesting a vital step in the process of treating patients who need stem cell transplants.