CartiHeal Performs First Agili-C(TM) Cartilage Repair Implantation Procedures at Missouri Orthopaedic Institute

Four patients enrolled and operated on by sports medicine surgeon
Dr. Seth L. Sherman, MD

Kfar Saba, Israel (ots/PRNewswire) - Seth L. Sherman, MD, a sports
medicine orthopaedic surgeon at Missouri Orthopaedic Institute,
recently became one of the first American surgeons to enroll patients
in a clinical research study towards FDA approval of CartiHeal's new
knee cartilage repair implant.

Agili-C(TM) is a novel implant designed to help patients with
knee-cartilage defects to regenerate their own healthy cartilage. Dr.
Sherman is one of 15 primary investigators in the United States
conducting the FDA-IDE study deigned to demonstrate the superiority
of this implant over the current standard of care - microfracture and
debridement.

"We are thrilled to be on the leading-edge of orthopaedic sports
medicine and joint preservation," Sherman said. "In the US, there are
limited options for off-the-shelf cartilage repair technologies that
can be used by sports medicine surgeon performed during a single
surgical procedure. Benefits of this technology include its relative
low cost, ease of use, without burning future bridges, and strong
previous basic science and clinical track record."

Cartilage damage is a common knee problem that occurs in patients
of all ages. It can happen as a result of an injury, like a blow to
the knee, or due to wear and tear over time. In any case, it causes
knee swelling, stiffness, and pain that can reduce function and
decrease quality of life.

The Agili-C(TM) implant is a cell-free implant made of the
inorganic exoskeleton of sea coral. The implant can be used in this
study to treat a variety of cartilage defects and patient types,
which is another reason it is attractive to orthopaedic surgeons.

"Often In studies like this one, we can enroll only a very strict
sub-set of young, active patients with a single, isolated cartilage
defect," said Dr. Sherman. "In reality, that's not the typical
patient we see every day. This implant is different because it's
medically indicated for a wide range of situations including patients
with multiple cartilage defects and even those with mild-moderate
osteoarthritis. We can use it in patients who are in their 20s or in
those who are in their 60s. This versatility allows us to find more
patients who may benefit from this procedure."

Those who qualify for the study are randomly assigned either one
of the traditional surgical options or the new implant. So far, Dr.
Sherman has enrolled four patients in the study and more cases are
planned in the upcoming weeks.

Says CartiHeal founder and CEO Nir Altschuler: "We wish to
congratulate Dr. Sherman for enrolling these four initial patients.
The enrollment rate is exceeding our expectations, with over 130
patients enrolled in both US and OUS centers since the study's
initiation in October 2017. We look forward to a fruitful
collaboration with the Missouri Orthopaedic Institute, and to benefit
patients suffering from a variety of cartilage lesions, who currently
have limited options."

To find out if you qualify for this study, visit the Missouri
Orthopaedic Institute
(http://www.muhealth.org/locations/missouri-orthopaedic-institute/)
online or http://www.cartiheal.com

About the Missouri Orthopaedic Institute

The Missouri Orthopaedic Institute is central Missouri's largest
freestanding orthopaedic center, as well as the region's most
comprehensive orthopaedic surgery center. The Institute's expert
orthopaedic surgeons, nurses, rehabilitation staff and other health
professionals offer patients a full range of care in a single
location. The Missouri Orthopaedic Institute houses approximately 400
staff, including 34 physicians who specialize in sports medicine,
joint replacement, pediatrics, hip and knee, foot and ankle,
shoulder, hand, spine, oncology and trauma care. For more
information, visit http://muhealth.org/MOI.

MU Health Public Relations, One Hospital Drive, Columbia, MO 65212

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About CartiHeal

CartiHeal, a privately-held medical device company headquartered
in Israel, develops proprietary implants for the treatment of
cartilage and osteochondral defects in traumatic and osteoarthritic
joints.

CartiHeal's cell-free, off-the-shelf implant is CE marked for use
in cartilage and osteochondral defects. Agili-C(TM) was implanted in
over 400 patients with knee, ankle, and great toe cartilage lesions
in a series of trials at leading centers in Europe and Israel -
treating a broad spectrum of cartilage lesions, from single focal
lesions to multiple and large defects in osteoarthritic patients. In
the United States, the Agili-C implant is not available for sale - it
is an investigational device limited for use in the IDE study.

For more information visit http://www.cartiheal.com

Media contact:
Caty Pearl
caty@pearlcom.co.il

ots Originaltext: CartiHeal (2009) Ltd.
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
+972-54-8081020

Original-Content von: CartiHeal (2009) Ltd., übermittelt durch news aktuell