**2. History**

The idea of transplanting tissues between individuals of the human species and even between individuals of distinct species is very ancient, dating to the early Christian era. Empirically, Cosmas and Damian, in the second century, were regarded as the pioneers of bone transplantation by having removed a leg of an individual due to an advanced tumour and soon deployed a new leg taken from a freshly killed Moro. However, it was Sir William MacEwan in 1880 who successfully reconstructed the humerus of a boy with the tibia obtained from another child. On the other hand, the first transplant between different species was conducted by the Dutch surgeon Job van Meekren in 1668. According to Godwin, he successfully transplanted part of the skull of a dog in a traumatic defect of the skull of a soldier. Deeply concerned of being excommunicated by the church for having undergone a non-Christian method of treatment, the soldier asked the surgeon to remove the graft, but due to time elapsed, this could not be completely removed since it was already fully integrated.

Is not well known when the first studies on bone grafts started. However, Ollier and Barth in the late 19th century, were the first to intensively investigate and report the biological properties of the tissue and concluded, though partially correct, that bone and periosteum remain viable when transplanted, contributing to new bone formation.

Assuming that the cells survive in the graft, even when removed from the donor, Albee in 1915, concluded in a classical work, the most suitable tissues for transplant are those originated from the connective tissue such as bone, fat and fascia. Ten years later, in 1925, Lexer published his experience with transplants and total joint replacement called "arthroplasty" to all surgical procedures performed in an attempt to restore joint movement.
