Grave injustice: the continuing use of unclaimed bodies in American medicine

Despite a growing sensitivity to the ethics of whole body donation in the field of clinical anatomy, the remains of unclaimed individuals continue to be used in healthcare teaching and research throughout the USA. I argue that this practice is unethical because of its disregard for autonomy and consent, its potential harm to various individuals and groups, considerations of justice and the threat that it poses to public trust in medical institutions. Additionally, I show how the best available defences of the use of unclaimed bodies fail to be ethically persuasive. I argue that whole body donation ethically requires either the prior consent of the deceased or the explicit permission of their next of kin. Finally, I offer practical suggestions for institutions transitioning away from the use of unclaimed bodies.