1. Biologic implants. Both the Denovo Natural Tissue (NT) and Denovo Engineered Tissue (ET) are being studied at Rush. NT is human issue allograft consisting of particulate juvenile articular cartilage. The ET graft is a three-dimensional hyaline-like cartilage tissue developed by culturing allogenic chondrocytes from juvenile human donors. Both implants are surgically implanted and affixed to the bone at the base of a cartilage defect through a small incision in front of the knee. The NT procedure is currently available to treat symptomatic localized cartilage defects and the ET procedure, which was initially investigated in part at Rush, will be ready for further clinical study near the end of 2011.
2. Limited resurfacing implants. The HemiCAP implant is used for limited resurfacing arthroplasty and is designed to match the individual shape of the patient’s cartilage surface. In the study, researchers are examining the use of the metallic implant for the treatment of specific focal femoral condyle defects to see whether it provides better outcomes than current treatment options.
3. Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy. In this NIH funded multi-center trial, researchers are comparing the use of arthroscopic partial meniscectomy to non-operative treatment for patients with symptomatic meniscal tears in the setting of concomitant knee osteoarthritis. The trial seeks to identify which, if any, patients would benefit from the surgical meniscectomy over non-operative treatment.
4. Platelet-rich plasma. Researchers are looking at the effects of autologous conditioned plasma, or platelet-rich plasma, on patients who have osteoarthritis. He is comparing three ACP injections to three hyaluronic acid injections in patients who have painful arthritis of the knee. Before the injections, he draws out fluid from the joint to examine proteins related to cartilage breakdown and production. Gathering this data will help him determine if surgeons can use biologic markers to predict clinical outcomes.
Related Articles on Cartilage Repair:
Dr. Brian Cole: Developing the Future of Cartilage Regeneration and Repair in Orthopaedics
Kensey Nash Receives CE Mark for Cartilage Repair Device
US Cartilage Repair Market to Grow 6.8% Over Next 4 Years
