Arm Transplant

Arm transplantation is the transfer of the arm from a deceased human donor to a patient with amputation of one or both arms, is an experimental reconstructive procedure that has the potential to significantly improve the lives of upper extremity amputees.

VCA” stands for “Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation,” and has also been referred to as CTA, or "Composite Tissue Allotransplantation." VCA is the umbrella term used to refer to transplants composed of several kinds of tissues (i.e., skin, muscle, bone), like the hand, arm or face. The standard treatment in human hand/arm transplants involve induction therapy with antibodies combined with multi-drug maintenance therapy. While effective, such drug regimens have caused complications like infection and drug toxicity, among others, jeopardizing the benefits gained from otherwise successful hand/arm transplants.