New System for Treating Cartilage Lesions

A cartilage surface implant system is designed for the treatment of patello-femoral disease, localized cartilage lesions, and defects in the major joints.

The HemiCAP (contoured articular prosthetic) resurfacing system replaces damaged cartilage surfaces with contoured implants that are matched to the patients' anatomy using a patented, intra-operative, three dimensional (3D) mapping technology. The system is comprised of three elements: the 3D mapping technology, a set of instruments to map and prepare the damaged area, and an off-the-shelf rounded, cap-like implant made from a cobalt chrome alloy with a central post on the implanted (bone) side. The system can be used for various knee, shoulder, hip, and great toe applications.

The surgical procedure begins the same way as all arthroscopic procedures. Through a small access incision an arthroscope is inserted into a cannula, which is used to protect it and also allow for saline fluid to flow into the joint. Through another incision, different instruments are inserted for use during the operation. When an articular defect is confirmed, the central axis in the middle of the defect is located and a component that looks like a screw is implanted to establish the mechanism for anchoring the resurfacing implant. Using this first component as a central axis, several specially designed instruments are introduced to map the contours of the patient's articular cartilage surrounding the defect and to prepare the tissue in and around the defect itself for the resurfacing implant. Once the site is prepared, the HemiCAP resurfacing implant is brought into position and seated.

The HemiCAP system is intended to provide an effective interim means for managing pain and disability in middle-aged patients until a total joint-replacement treatment option becomes more necessary, and is part of a clinical treatment strategy to help avoid early-age-revision scenarios. The prosthetic may also provide a treatment option for the older patient who may not tolerate the morbidity of a total joint-replacement procedure. The implants and instruments are designed to remove a minimal amount of bone stock, preserve functional structures and tissues, and allow for an uncomplicated removal in the event of revision.

"The principal advantage of the Arthrosurface system is that it is an intuitive technology that allows for very accurate matching of the implants to the affected cartilage surface, without altering the biomechanics of the joint,” said Dr. Anthony Schepsis of the Boston University Medical Center (MA, USA).

The HemiCAP system was developed by Arthrosurface (Franklin, MA, USA) and is available in the United States, Europe, Australasia, Latin America, and South Africa.



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