Achilles tendon

The Achilles tendon is very important in the lower limb, but in relation to the knee it iis importance is its availability as a cadaveric donor graft.

Achilles tendon harvest

Tissue banks may 'harvest' this tendon from human donors and it is freeze-dried and stored for transplant (eg to the knee), where it can be used for a variety of purposes to strengthen areas in the recipient patient where their own natural body tissues have failed. Such a graft of human tissue from another person is called an allograft.