Biologics News

A research project in cartilage regeneration was recently financed by the European Commission with 5.5 million euros.

DESTIN, Fla. — The amount of Medicare spending for conventional DMARDs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis ballooned from $98 million in 2012 to $550 million in 2016, while spending on biologic DMARDs doubled from $4.3 billion to $8.6 billion, despite only modest increases in total beneficiaries, according to a presenter at the 2019 North American Young Rheumatology Investigator Forum.

There is no question in my mind that the ideal ACL graft for an active older patient who is uncomfortable with an allograft is a quadrupled semitendinosus autograft. By quadrupling the tendon, sufficient size and strength of the graft can be achieved. The fact that the quadrupled graft may be shorter can easily be accommodated by using an all-inside technique with bony sockets. With the harvesting of only a single hamstring, the risk of harvest morbidity is low and there is little early postoperative pain. This allows early weight-bearing and shorter time on crutches, which should decrease the risk of deep vein thrombosis or falls. The harvesting is relatively straightforward and can be performed quickly without a tourniquet. Any resulting minor hamstring weakness is unlikely to be noticed in these patients. With respect to concerns about graft retear, because the risk of ACL graft retear declines with age, as much as 50% for each decade of life, retear rates should be low. There is a reason hamstring grafts are the most commonly used grafts for ACL reconstruction worldwide and the benefits of this graft choice are amplified in the older population. In addition, any potential downsides of hamstring graft use are minimized in this age group.

The ACL is reportedly one of the most commonly injured knee ligaments among professional- and recreational-level athletes, with a high risk for primary and secondary ACL injuries found with participation in pivoting and cutting sports, such as football, basketball, skiing and soccer.

LAS VEGAS — At the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting, Brian J. Cole, MD, spoke about the use of orthopedic biologics in sports medicine. He said biologics may be incorporated into surgery to improve the outcomes for procedures, such as rotator cuff repairs.

The incidence rate of upper limb joint replacements among patients with rheumatoid arthritis decreased from 2002 onward, coinciding with the introduction of biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, although other factors may have contributed, according to findings published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Sirakoss Ltd announced it received CE mark clearance for Osteo³, a nanosynthetic bone graft substitute intended to improve patient healing and provide surgeons an advanced solution for bone fractures, according to a company press release.

The American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons released a position statement that it does not recommend to routine clinical use of biologics, including stem cells and platelet-rich plasma injections, for the treatment of advanced hip or knee arthritis.

Bioventus has announced the launch of Osteomatrix+, a new biphasic bone graft for use in bone remodeling in many orthopedic and spine applications, according to a company press release.

OSSIO announced it received FDA 510(k) clearance for the OSSIOfiber bone pin family.