Smith+Nephew (LSE:SN, NYSE:SNN), the global medical technology company, today announces that its innovative CARTIHEAL AGILI-C Cartilage Repair Implant is now commercially available in Europe. The CARTIHEAL Implant will take center stage at this week’s International Cartilage Regeneration & Joint Preservation Society (ICRS) Summit in Porto, Portugal from October 8-10.
Introduced by Smith+Nephew in the US during 2024, the CARTIHEAL Implant is rapidly transforming the cartilage repair landscape. Composed of aragonite, a naturally occurring calcium carbonate acting as a biphasic scaffold, the implant is able to repair cartilage, restore bone, and relieve pain.1-5,* These unique properties enable physicians to surgically treat patients who previously had no access to cartilage repair procedures.1,4,5
Compelling evidence from a multicenter, randomized controlled trial highlighting the clinical superiority of the CARTIHEAL Implant was recently published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine (AJSM). The study concluded that the CARTIHEAL AGILI-C Cartilage Repair Implant resulted in higher overall Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Scores (KOOS) versus surgical standard of care** for all time points out to 60 months.5
Additionally, the study also found:
- Superior pain relief: Patients treated with the CARTIHEAL AGILI-C Implant reported significantly better knee pain relief and quality of life improvements over a 5-year period.1,4-6,*
- Superior functional gains: Patients treated with the CARTIHEAL Implant reported superior improvements in performing activities related to daily living, sport and recreation at 2, 4 and 5-years.1,4-6
- Patients with/without osteoarthritis (OA): No statistical difference in clinical outcomes found in OA and non-OA patients receiving the CARTIHEAL Implant.4,***
Joaquin Lasso, Smith+Nephew’s SVP and GM of Sports Medicine International commented, "Smith+Nephew is committed to advancing technologies that address meaningful unmet clinical needs. The launch of the CARTIHEAL Implant in Europe brings surgeons an innovative, evidence-backed solution for cartilage repair and reinforces our focus on helping patients achieve better long-term outcomes and return to their active lives."
"The treatment of cartilage and osteochondral defects continues to be one of the most challenging areas in Orthopedic sports medicine. It is encouraging to see innovative treatment approaches such as the CARTIHEAL AGILI-C Implant becoming available to more surgeons and patients worldwide,” said Dr. Francesca de Caro, Specialist in Orthopedics, Knee, and Hip Surgery at Pavia Hospital in Italy. “Expanding access to new technologies, together with ongoing clinical education and scientific exchange, helps advance our ability to address these complex conditions and improve patient care."
The CARTIHEAL Implant will first be introduced in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK, with other countries expected to follow shortly after. To learn more about Smith+Nephew’s CARTIHEAL AGILI-C Cartilage Repair Implant, please visit our booth at ICRS (#2) and view the product webpage here.