Novel Advanced Orthopaedic Instrumentation For SCI

As a result of Biovation Ltd (B-UK) previous POM application “Novel Advanced
Orthopaedic Instrumentation for SCI” which established freedom to operate & commercial
viability, this project commences.
Osteoarthritis of joints causes loss of movement, stiffness, pain, & ultimately surgery required
(NHS, 2013). Surgical options are:
1) Scaffolds; implanted as 3D cell-free construct in osteochondral defect to promote
marrow growth
2) Minced Cartilage; healthy fragments of cartilage harvested from none weight-bearing
locations loaded onto scaffolds to regenerate tissue
3) Natural cell generation: microfracture & stemcell cartilage generation methods
4) Joint Resurfacing
5) Total Joint Replacement.
With limited effective treatment of focal defects in large joints, a novel Synthetic Cartilage
Implant (SCI)has been developed from a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) cryogel that mimics natural
cartilage. The durable, viscoelastic SCI provides flexible cushioning maintaining natural joint
mechanics. There is now a significant opportunity to develop minimal invasive
instrumentation with the potential to move towards single use procedure pack specifically for
the knee condyles for the treatment of osteochondral defects of sizes between 6mm and
15mm.