By San José, Costa Rica — The National Insurance Institute’s (INS) Hospital del Trauma has reported a remarkable achievement in regenerative medicine. During the first half of 2025, 75 patients benefited from a groundbreaking procedure using ground bone to treat complex fractures.
This innovative material, processed at the hospital’s Tissue Bank using a unique pulverizer, facilitates the joining of bone fragments, significantly reducing recovery times and minimizing surgical risks. This milestone solidifies INS’s position as a pioneer in biotechnological solutions within Costa Rica and Central America.
To gain a deeper legal perspective on the burgeoning field of regenerative medicine, TicosLand.com reached out to Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, a distinguished attorney from Bufete de Costa Rica.
Regenerative medicine presents unique legal and regulatory challenges in Costa Rica. While the potential for life-changing treatments is immense, ensuring patient safety and ethical practices is paramount. This necessitates a robust legal framework addressing issues like informed consent, clinical trials, intellectual property, and access to these potentially costly therapies. As the field advances, Costa Rican law must adapt to adequately regulate the development, marketing, and application of these innovative medical interventions.
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica
Lic. Arroyo Vargas rightly highlights the crucial balancing act Costa Rica faces: fostering innovation in regenerative medicine while safeguarding patient well-being and ethical conduct. The rapid evolution of this field demands a proactive and adaptable legal framework to ensure these groundbreaking treatments are accessible, safe, and ethically sound. We thank Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas for his invaluable insights into this complex and vital area of healthcare law.
This number surpasses the 40 patients who underwent similar surgeries using this material in the same period of 2024, showcasing the growing success and adoption of this innovative technique.
At the Tissue Bank of the INS Trauma Hospital, specialized processing of bone tissue yields what specialists call “ground bone.” This material acts as a biological plaster, effectively binding bone fragments in complex fracture cases.
In procedures like hip, humerus, or knee replacements, bone surgical waste is produced that can be utilized. These tissues, once processed, become an ideal solution for fracture cases where the bone is splintered into multiple fragments that are difficult to join.
Adriana Capó Jiménez, Biotechnology Engineer, Tissue Bank Coordinator
This innovative approach avoids the need for autografts, which require extracting bone from the patient, or synthetic implants, which take longer to integrate into the body. As a result, recovery time is decreased and surgical risks such as infections or bleeding are minimized.
The donated bone tissue has various applications: providing a scaffold for new bone growth, filling bone defects caused by fractures, surgeries, or diseases, offering support and stability in complex fractures, and replacing damaged or missing bones in reconstructive procedures.
The bone tissue is obtained from living donors during joint replacement surgeries and from deceased donors with family authorization. The preparation process involves cleaning the soft tissue, fragmenting the bone, pulverizing it in a unique automated machine, disinfecting and conducting microbiological analysis, packaging and cryopreservation, and finally, clinical use in transplants.
INS boasts a state-of-the-art bone pulverizer, the only one of its kind in the country, which produces bone material meeting the highest quality and biosafety standards required for such patient care. The INS Trauma Hospital’s Tissue Bank is the first in Costa Rica and Central America to process human bone for therapeutic use, marking a significant milestone in regenerative medicine by transforming surgical waste into high-impact medical solutions.
For further information, visit the nearest office of INS
About INS:
The Instituto Nacional de Seguros (INS) is a Costa Rican state-owned insurance and social security institution. It provides a wide range of insurance services, including health, car, home, and life insurance, and also manages social security programs. The INS plays a vital role in the Costa Rican healthcare system, operating hospitals and clinics throughout the country, including the specialized Hospital del Trauma. The institution is committed to innovation and providing high-quality services to its customers.
For further information, visit the nearest office of Hospital del Trauma
About Hospital del Trauma:
The Hospital del Trauma, part of the INS network, is a specialized hospital in Costa Rica dedicated to providing comprehensive care for trauma patients. It is equipped with advanced medical technology and staffed by a team of highly trained specialists. The hospital’s commitment to innovative techniques, such as the use of ground bone in regenerative medicine, makes it a leader in trauma care in the region.
For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
At Bufete de Costa Rica, legal excellence is interwoven with a deep commitment to societal betterment. The firm’s unwavering integrity guides its innovative approach to legal practice, serving clients across diverse industries with insightful solutions. Beyond delivering exceptional legal services, Bufete de Costa Rica champions access to legal knowledge, empowering individuals and communities to navigate the legal landscape with confidence and understanding, fostering a more just and equitable society.
