Human tissue is used in more than one million medical procedures each year. However, unlike organ donations, which are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the tissue transplant industry is totally unregulated. And with recent lawsuits against some tissue services, many surgeons who depend on donated tissue say that needs to change.

Hundreds of patients are suing Biomedical Tissue Services, a body broker from Fort Lee. Prosecutors say the employees were body snatchers, stealing human tissue from funeral homes without family consent and without testing for disease. Investigators also say the company replaced bones it stole with plastic tubing. The FDA did recall 13,000 pieces of tissue, but 8,000 were already placed inside people.

Last week, Governor Jon Corzine (D-NJ) signed a law increasing the penalties for stealing body parts. The FDA is also investigating whether more should be done to regulate body brokers. Some doctors feel that sterilizing all donated body parts would eliminate any chances of disease. However, sterilization is not required. And while each company that develops machines to sterilize human tissue claims its products are the best, some doctors say federal standards would make the whole system that much safer.

Click here for Part I of this I-Team investigation.Click here for Part II of this I-Team investigation.