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Knee Assessment

Prior to recommending CARTICEL, it is vital to assess the patient’s candidacy for treatment. Joint condition, concomitant pathologies, size, and number and extent of defects are critical factors in this consideration. These determinations are primarily conducted through standard arthroscopy.

Prior to harvesting a cartilage biopsy, please call Customer Care (800)-261-1570 or fax (866)-344-5925 to request a Cartilage Biopsy Transport Kit.

Joint Assessment

Carefully inspect articular cartilage, tibial plateau, femoral condyle, patella and trochlear groove.
Assess the patella-femoral joint for abnormal facet tracking and joint surface contact.

Defect Assessment

Remove all damaged and unhealthy articular cartilage surrounding the defect as well as loose bodies in the joint.
Ensure defect is surrounded by healthy, stable cartilage, measuring at least 2 to 3 mm thick to accommodate suture fixation of a periosteal patch. If the cartilage is not stable, bone anchors should be considered for final implantation.
Determine the complete extent and size of the defect to assure that the appropriate number of cell vials is provided at the time of implantation (1 vial for each defect measuring <7cm²; 2 vials measuring 7-14cm²; 3 vials for defects >14cm²).

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Indication

Carticel® (autologous cultured chondrocytes) is an autologous cellular product indicated for the repair of symptomatic cartilage defects of the femoral condyle (medial, lateral or trochlea), caused by acute or repetitive trauma, in patients who have had an inadequate response to a prior arthroscopic or other surgical repair procedure (e.g., debridement, microfracture, drilling/abrasion arthroplasty, or osteochondral allograft/autograft).

CARTICEL should only be used in conjunction with debridement, placement of a periosteal flap and rehabilitation. The independent contributions of the autologous cultured chondrocytes and other components of the therapy to outcome are unknown.

CARTICEL is not indicated for the treatment of cartilage damage associated with generalized osteoarthritis.

CARTICEL is not recommended for patients with total meniscectomy unless surgically reconstructed prior to or concurrent with CARTICEL implantation.

Important Safety Information

CARTICEL should not be used in patients with a known history of hypersensitivity to gentamicin, other aminoglycosides or materials of bovine origin.

It should not be used in patients who have previously had cancer in the bones, cartilage, fat or muscle of the treated limb.

Pre-existing conditions, including meniscal tears, joint instability, or malalignment should be assessed and treated prior to or concurrent with CARTICEL implantation.

CARTICEL is not routinely tested for transmissible infectious diseases and may transmit disease to the healthcare provider handling CARTICEL.

Use of CARTICEL in children, patients over age 65, or in joints other than the knee has not yet been assessed.

The occurrence of subsequent surgical procedures (SSPs), primarily arthroscopy, following CARTICEL implantation is common. In the Study of the Treatment of Articular Repair (STAR), forty-nine percent (49%) of patients underwent an SSP on the treated knee, irrespective of their relationship to CARTICEL, during the 4-year follow up. The most common serious adverse events (≥5% of patients), derived from STAR, include arthrofibrosis/joint adhesions, graft overgrowth, chondromalacia or chondrosis, cartilage injury, graft complication, meniscal lesion, graft delamination, and osteoarthritis.

For more information on CARTICEL, please see the Package Insert (PDF).

References

Tic Tac® is a registered trademark of Ferrero Inc.

Knee assessment and biopsy

Helpful Resources

Read more about patients' experiences with CARTICEL Implantations.

View Case Studies