An interventional study of Limb transplantation in Limb Amputation and Extremity Amputation, sponsored by Brigham and Women's Hospital. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 60 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-01.
Sponsored by Brigham and Women's Hospital · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Limb transplantation surgery is the transfer of one or more limbs from a deceased human donor to a patient with single or multiple limb amputation. Hand transplantation is an innovative reconstructive procedure that has the potential to significantly improve the lives of hand amputees. The purpose of this study is to develop the best practices for multiple limb transplantation that will improve the outcomes of future limb transplant recipients.
Limb transplantation surgery, the transfer of the limb(s) from a deceased human donor to a patient with amputation of one or more limbss, is an experimental reconstructive procedure that has the potential to significantly improve the lives of amputees.
Limb transplantation is similar to face transplantation in that the tissues transplanted include skin, tendons, muscles, ligaments, bones and blood vessels. The transplant team at Brigham and Women's Hospital includes a wide variety of medical and surgical specialties. The team hopes to build upon the success of their first face transplantation to provide amputee patients with the significant benefits of limb transplantation.
Toward this goal, BWH is actively seeking qualified candidates for the limb transplant research study. We will be studying a small group of people to learn more about:
We describe limb transplant surgery as a life-giving procedure because it has the potential to dramatically improve, that is to restore, both a patient's mental and physical health and his/her ability to function and integrate in society. However, as with any other type of organ transplantation, this improvement will require the patient to make a lifetime commitment to taking medications that suppress the body's immune system.
Conventional reconstruction methods are always considered first, but they may provide less than optimal results for certain patients. There are many sophisticated prostheses that satisfactorily replace the basic function of a missing limb. However, replacing limbs (in whole or in part) with prosthetics remains suboptimal in that prostheses do not provide sensation and do not have a natural appearance. Limbtransplant surgery, however, has the potential to deliver these desired functional and aesthetic benefits. Functionally, limb transplant surgery can provide a patient with new limbs that, after extensive rehabilitation, allow him/her to perform daily activities and, in most cases, return to work. Furthermore, the ability to restore a near-normal aesthetic appearance of the limb(s) can lead to tremendous psychological benefits, including elevated confidence and mood.
From the time we begin our search for a qualified limb transplant recipient to the continuing care we provide following surgery, a significant amount of time, expertise and attentiveness is contributed toward making the procedure a progressive success. Limb transplant candidates go through an extensive screening process that is likely to last several months. This screening includes a psychiatric and social support evaluation and a series of imaging tests to help determine a patient's physical and mental readiness for the procedure. If, upon completion of the screening process, it is determined that a patient is a suitable candidate, we will place the patient on a transplant waiting list. We will then begin working with the New England Organ Bank (NEOB) team to find a donor who matches the recipient's tissue requirements - for example similar age and correct blood type. This search could take many months, and, if a suitable donor is not found within one year, we will speak with the patient to determine whether he/she is willing to continue waiting.
Brigham and Women's Hospital is the lead sponsor of 1,236 studies on the registry; 224 are open to participants now.
Of its 116 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 64 (55%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Exclusion Criteria:
Subjects will undergo single or multiple limb transplantation
Procedure: Limb transplantation
Also known as: vascularized composite allotransplantation
Outcomes of limb transplantation
We will undertake an objective evaluation of the results of limb transplantation in an "outcome-oriented" study
Time frame: Subjects will be followed for 18 months after transplantation
Efficacy and optimization of the immune suppression protocol
We will evaluate the risks of rejection or likelihood of tolerance induction by measuring specific parameters in the blood or tissue, including: Serum alloantibodies concentration, numbers/phenotype of specific T cell alloreactivity in the peripheral blood, phenotypic characterization of graft infiltrating cells and local gene expression of cells and cytokines.
Time frame: 18 months
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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