Millions of cartilage injuries occur each year, causing chronic joint pain

From Piramal Life Sciences

Cartilage is a tissue in the body which provides structure and support to the body’s other tissues such as bone. In the knee and other joints, cartilage is found at the end of bones. It provides a cushioning effect and helps joints to articulate smoothly. Once damaged, cartilage cannot heal on its own.Localized cartilage damage occurs as a result of physical trauma or excessive wear and tear. If damaged cartilage is not treated, it can lead to arthritis or even total articulation replacement.

BST-CarGel®, a newly developed innovative treatment, guides the patient own body’s healing processes to regenerate the cartilage. Mixed with the patient’s own blood, BST-CarGel® acts as a structured frame and encourages the repair cells located inside the bone below the cartilage to travel into the damaged area and become new cartilage cells. These new cartilage cells will participate in regenerating cartilage tissue during which time BST-CarGel® will be naturally broken down.

BST-CarGel® is only indicated for the repair of cartilage damage on the femoral condyles of the knee. Only an orthopaedic surgeon is qualified to assess whether you are an appropriate candidate for this treatment.

BST-CarGel® is a safe solution that supports the patient’s own body in regenerating its cartilage. It has been tested in clinical trials and was shown to produce more high quality repair cartilage than the surgical standard of care.

After the surgery, the patient will have to use crutches to avoid weight bearing on the treated knee for 6 to 8 weeks. It is recommended to see a physiotherapist and follow the BST-CarGel® guidelines given by the surgeon in order to optimize the success of the surgery.

What happens during the BST-CarGel® surgery?

Prior to the single procedure, the surgeon will go over any pre-operative instructions to be followed. The surgical procedure includes the following steps :

Preparation of Lesion:

The surgeon will carefully remove detached or degenerated cartilage from the damaged area.

Bone Perforations

Using a surgical tool, small perforations will be made into the bone to gain access to the repair cells and blood elements.

BST-CarGel® Preparation

BST-CarGel® is prepared and mixed with a small amount of the patient’s own blood.

BST-CarGel® Delivery

The BST-CarGel®/ blood mixture is applied to the damaged area where it solidifies within minutes.

Regenerative Process

BST-CarGel® maintains an increased amount of essential blood components in the prepared lesion, resulting in the enhancement of the cartilage healing process.

[Cargel is still relatively new, with only six surgeries having been done in the Caribbean, and all in the Cayman Islands.]

[Although the procedure has been passed by the European health boards the FDA and Health Canada have yet give their approval.]

For more on this story go to: http://bst-cargel.piramal.com/content/patient