Ortho-ACI™ - Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation

Innovation in Cartilage Repair

Millions of people worldwide suffer pain and limited mobility as a result of damage to articular cartilage, most commonly in the knee or ankle. Unfortunately, unlike muscle or bone, damaged cartilage has a limited capacity for self-repair. Left untreated, the cartilage damage progresses to the point where joint replacement is required.

Orthocell's Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation (Ortho-ACI™) offers an effective treatment for symptomatic defects of the articulating cartilage of the joints. Ortho-ACI™ uses the patient’s own healthy cartilage cells, called chondrocytes, to assist the regeneration of damaged cartilage.

Key Benefits

ACI was first introduced in 1987, and thousands of implants have been performed world-wide.

The benefits of Ortho-ACI™ are:

• Clinically validated, with 500+ patients treated using Ortho-ACI™ in Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong.

• Highly customisable, personalised treatment - each procedure is tailored to the individual patient’s requirements

• More cost-effective than existing ACI treatments

• Lower risk than other cartilage regeneration procedures (eg microfracture)

How does Ortho-ACI™ work? 

Ortho-ACI™ is a two-stage procedure. The first step involves taking a small piece (a biopsy) of healthy articular cartilage using keyhole surgery. This biopsied tissue is sent off to GMP-licensed laboratory where cartilage cells, called chondrocytes, are isolated and proliferate (increase in number) under controlled conditions for approximately 5 weeks.

Your orthopaedic surgeon will implant the cells into the damaged joint through a small incision or keyhole surgery. The cells are implanted on a custom-designed cellular delivery scaffold. This scaffold creates the optimal environment for the implanted chodrocytes to begin regenerating new cartilage.

A rehabilitation program to slowly increase in weight bearing over a six week period is essential to ensure the success of Ortho-ACI™. Return to sport and recreational activities should also be staged over the first 6-9 months following your Ortho-ACI™ surgery. This staged increase in the intensity of activities protects the newly developing cartilage and allows cartilage maturation process to occur undisturbed.

Patient Information

Ortho-ACI™

1.)   10-IFU-10 Ortho-ACI™ Consumer Medicines Information

2.)  Patient information brochure

Publications

October 2018

Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery

Arthroscopic autologous chondrocyte implantation in the glenohumeral joint: a case report

This paper describes the surgical technique and clinical and radiologic outcomes of treatment with Ortho-ACI™ up to 24 months in a 25 year old patient for a symptomatic cartilage defect on the glenoid