A body part meeting all nine of the following criteria:
1. That is vascularized and requires blood flow by surgical connection of blood vessels to function after transplantation.
2. Containing multiple tissue types.
3. Recovered from a human donor as an anatomical/structural unit.
4. Transplanted into a human recipient as an anatomical/structural unit.
5. Minimally manipulated (i.e., processing that does not alter the original relevant characteristics of the organ relating to the organ’s utility for reconstruction, repair, or replacement).
6. For homologous use (the replacement or supplementation of a recipient’s organ with an organ that performs the same basic function or functions in the recipient as in the donor).
7. Not combined with another article such as a device.
8. Susceptible to ischemia and, therefore, only stored temporarily and not cryopreserved.
9. Susceptible to allograft rejection, generally requiring immunosuppression that may increase infectious disease risk to the recipient.
Refer to “Covered Vascularized Composite Allograft body parts (covered VCAs)” for the list of body parts covered by OPTN Policies and Bylaws.
A transplant that is composed of several kinds of tissue such as skin, bone, muscles, blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue, VCAs include hand, arm, or face transplants.
Vascularized: containing blood vessels or other fluid-bearing vessels or ducts.
Composite: made up of various parts or elements.
Allograft: a transplanted organ or tissue from one individual to another of the same species with a different genotype. For example, a transplant from one person to another, but not an identical twin, is an allograft.
(Organdonor.gov/learn/glossary, Jan 2025). (Alliance Glossary, June 2026)