Many doctors are intrigued about the CartiHeal Agili-C implant. It is a cartilage repair implant designed to repair damaged cartilage and bone in the knee and it is a new option available to orthopedic surgeons. It was FDA approved in March 2022.
So what is cartilage? Articular cartilage is smooth, white connective tissue that covers the ends of bones. It acts as a shock absorber and helps us move easily and painlessly. But cartilage can become damaged due to injury or trauma. Since cartilage doesn’t have nerves, blood vessels or lymph vessels to support its repair, it is difficult to heal. Once damage occurs, it is painful since the joints rub against one another. If left untreated, the joint can become so damaged that it’s difficult to walk. According to Langone Health, cartilage injuries that are wider than a centimeter have the potential to get bigger over time, which can lead to osteoarthritis (a degenerative condition of the joint).
Since there are limited options to treat cartilage injury, the CartiHeal Agili-C implant is quite promising. It’s designed to help the body regrow healthy cartilage and heal damaged bone in the knee. A significant development occurred in December 2023 when Dr. Cassandra Lee, a UC Davis Health orthopedic surgeon became among the first to surgically implant the new CartiHeal Agili-C implant in her patient, Alicia McHatton. Her patient had knee pain after an injury and since she’s very active, she wanted to try the new implant. Alicia McHatton felt ready to begin bearing weight on her leg within the first week. She felt no pain a week post-op.
Hopefully there will be more stories in the news about patients who are able to use the new implant successfully. It is certainly an exciting solution for patients who suffer tremendously from knee injuries and pain.
For more information visit:
https://www.cartiheal.com/
https://www.briangilmermd.com/agilic-knee-sports-medicine-specialist-reno-nv/