An article in the latest issue of the weekly peer-reviewed journal, The BMJ, about arthroscopic surgery for degenerative knee arthritis and meniscal tears appears to dovetail with an approach by Ortho Regenerative Technologies and its biologic scaffold for soft tissue injuries.
“We make a strong recommendation against the use of arthroscopy in nearly all patients with degenerative knee disease, based on linked systematic reviews,” according to the authors of the report, who note that “further research is unlikely to alter this recommendation.”
Their recommendation applies to patients with or without imaging evidence of osteoarthritis, mechanical symptoms, or sudden symptom onset.
Ortho RTi is developing Ortho-R, a freeze-dried biopolymer that when mixed with a small amount of a patient’s platelet-rich plasma quickly forms a sticky scaffold that fits seamlessly into current surgical procedures. The powder biopolymer has a shelf life of three years at room temperature.
In addition to shoulder rotator cuff repair, the company is developing technology for knee meniscus and articular cartilage repair, and other commonly injured joints, such as the elbow, ankle and hip.
The latest BMJ article followed a linked systematic review triggered by a randomised trial published in The BMJ in June 2016, which found that, among patients with a degenerative medial meniscus tear, knee arthroscopy was no better than exercise therapy.
The article can be viewed here.
