From kneecap necklaces to umbilical cord keepsakes: the risks of keeping and consuming human tissue
The world of celebrity fashion is often the center of attention on social media, but Elton John recently made headlines for a unique and unconventional reason. The renowned musician was spotted wearing jewelry crafted from his own kneecaps, a fascinating yet controversial practice. After undergoing a double knee replacement in 2024, Elton inquired about retaining his patellae, the bones at the front of the knee, and later collaborated with jeweler Theo Fennell to transform them into wearable pieces.
This unusual jewelry creation raises intriguing questions about the fate of human tissue once it leaves the body. It also sparks curiosity about why individuals might desire to preserve it. Elton is not the only one with such sentiments; many people cherish baby teeth or their children's first lost tooth as sentimental items. Social media is filled with stories of individuals preserving removed tonsils, adenoids, appendices, or newborn umbilical stumps. Some of these keepsakes are biologically inert, while others carry medical and safety considerations.
In most surgical cases, tissue is handled very differently. It is typically sent to a laboratory for testing, known as pathology, to confirm a diagnosis or check for diseases. After this, it must be safely disposed of as clinical waste due to potential biological risks. Keeping surgically removed tissue is now relatively uncommon among patients.
Handling human tissue can pose risks, especially for professionals in operating theaters or pathology labs working with unfixed tissue. Unfixed tissue refers to tissue that has not been treated with chemicals to preserve it and kill microbes. Healthcare staff using needles or sharp instruments are vulnerable to exposure to blood-borne viruses like hepatitis or HIV. Depending on the source, other pathogens may also be present, such as respiratory microbes in lung tissue.
Some keepsakes fall between harmless and medically relevant. Parents sometimes keep the umbilical stump after a baby is born. This small piece of tissue dries up and falls off naturally within a few weeks. If not kept clean and dry, it can become infected with omphalitis, an inflammation and infection of the stump.
The most debated example of keeping human tissue is the placenta, which is delivered after childbirth. The placenta, a temporary organ, connects the developing fetus to the uterus and acts as an interface for the exchange of oxygen, nutrients, and waste products between mother and baby while keeping their blood supplies separate to prevent immune rejection and blood incompatibility.
Some individuals choose to keep the placenta and even consume it, a practice known as placentophagy. This belief stems from the idea that the placenta, having nourished the fetus during pregnancy, must contain nutrients that can aid the mother's recovery after birth. During pregnancy, nutrients like calcium are transferred to the developing baby, and mothers can lose up to 4% of their bone mineral density. However, most nutrients stored in the placenta have already been passed to the fetus before birth.
Claims about the benefits of placentophagy are not strongly supported by scientific evidence. The nutrients in placental tissue can generally be obtained through a balanced diet. Research in animal models has shown some positive effects, but these results have not been reproduced in humans.
People consume the placenta in various ways, including blending it raw into smoothies, cooking it into foods like lasagne, steeping it in high-strength alcohol to create a tincture, or drying it into capsules, the most common approach known as encapsulation.
However, there are potential health risks associated with placentophagy. The placenta contains elevated levels of estrogen, and high concentrations of this hormone in the bloodstream can increase the risk of thromboembolism, a condition where blood clots form and travel through the circulation.
Additionally, the placenta acts as a filter during pregnancy, limiting the transfer of certain substances to the baby. Studies indicate that some heavy metals and other ions can accumulate in placental tissue, meaning levels may be higher in the placenta than elsewhere in the body.
In 2017, the CDC reported a case where a baby developed repeated infections with group B Streptococcus agalactiae, a bacterium commonly found in the gut or vagina. The source of the infection was traced to the mother consuming placenta capsules contaminated with the same bacterium. While the process of producing capsules reduces bacterial levels, it does not completely remove them. Eating the placenta raw carries even greater risks, including exposure to bacteria like E.coli.
Many animals eat their placentas after giving birth to remove evidence and reclaim nutrients. For humans, these nutrients are easily obtained from a normal diet, and the medical benefits remain uncertain. More robust studies are needed to determine whether placentophagy offers any genuine health advantages.
Whether transformed into jewelry, kept in a memory box, or blended into a smoothie, once tissue leaves the body, it transitions from the personal and sentimental to the medical and biological. The meanings people attach to it vary widely, but the scientific questions about safety, benefits, and risks remain pertinent.
