Smith & Nephew (NYSE:SNN;LSE:SN), the global medical technology business, today announced that its first BST-CarGel® procedure was successfully performed by Dr. Sergi Sastre, MD, PhD at Hospital Clínic in Barcelona, Spain. Acquired by Smith & Nephew in January, BST-CarGel is a first-line cartilage repair product used along with microfracture and other bone marrow stimulation techniques for the initial treatment of most sizes of focal cartilage tears. To date, BST-CarGel has been used in more than 1,000 surgeries across Europe, Canada and Australia.
“I continue to be very pleased with my patient outcomes following the implantation of BST-CarGel,” says Dr. Sastre, who used the product to treat a young male with an isolated cartilage lesion of the knee. “Especially for my younger patients, I see BST-CarGel as an important step toward successfully treating cartilage lesions in an attempt to delay the need for prostheses or other more invasive procedures.”
According to a study by Prof. Matthias Steinwachs from the SportClinic Zurich / Hirslanden Clinic, traditional bone marrow stimulation techniques have only reproduced mechanically inferior fibrous cartilage tissue. However, enhancing microfracture with a chitosan-based biomaterial such as BST-CarGel resulted in a significant improvement in the repair tissue quality.i
“The level 1 clinical data supporting the use of this product is impressive, showing both a greater quantity and better quality of tissue fill in the lesion when compared to microfracture alone.ii” says Dr Steinwachs. “The versatility of BST-CarGel allows it to be used either arthroscopically or through a mini arthrotomy.”
“We’ve already received tremendous interest from current Smith & Nephew customers as well as others looking for a solution that complements their current bone marrow stimulation technique and is supported by strong clinical evidence,” explains Diogo Moreira-Rato, President Europe and Canada
About BST CarGel
BST-CarGel is a biopolymer-based solution that is mixed with a patient’s blood and implanted into the joint following a microfracture procedure. BST-CarGel can be delivered arthroscopically and can be used to treat damaged cartilage in synovial joints such as the knee, hip, ankle and shoulder. Once implanted, it acts as a scaffold, adhering to the cartilage surface to stabilize the blood clot while new cartilage is regenerated.
Editor’s Note
Microfracture is a surgical option for treating small areas of damaged articular cartilage. During the procedure, the cartilage area is prepared by removing loose or damaged tissue. A surgical tool is then used to create a series of small, microfracture holes to access the bone’s vascular layer. When blood cells from the vascular layer travel through these holes to the bone’s surface, they can stimulate new cartilage growth. Microfracture surgery is not recommended for patients with widespread cartilage damage such as arthritis.
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About Smith & Nephew
Smith & Nephew is a global medical technology business dedicated to helping healthcare professionals improve people's lives. With leadership positions in Orthopaedic Reconstruction, Advanced Wound Management, Sports Medicine and Trauma & Extremities, Smith & Nephew has around 15,000 employees and a presence in more than 100 countries. Annual sales in 2015 were more than $4.6 billion. Smith & Nephew is a member of the FTSE100 (LSE:SN, NYSE:SNN).
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References
i Matthias R. Steinwachs, M.D., Bernhard Waibl, M.D., and Marcus Mumme, M.D.; Arthroscopic Treatment of Cartilage Lesions With Microfracture and BST-CarGel
ii Shive, M., MD, et al. BST-CarGel Treatment Maintains Cartilage Repair Superiority over Microfracture at 5 Years in a Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial. Cartilage 2015; Vol 6(2) 62-72