Marrow Access Technologies Releases Ankle Cartilage Repair Solution

Marrow Access Technologies has launched in the United States its newest advancement of the SmartShot marrow access device, designed specifically to address the unique needs of ankle joint preservation.
 
“Our engineering team worked closely with top cartilage researchers and foot and ankle surgeon thought leaders to bring this newest innovation to market,” Marrow Access Technologies Co-Founder/CEO Joseph Saladino said. “We leveraged cartilage research from multiple independent laboratories to create a cost-effective and straightforward treatment option for ankle cartilage injuries.”
 
SmartShot uses a patented mechanism to create deep, microneedle channels into bone to stimulate the patient’s own natural healing reaction. The penetration of the outer layers of bone allows blood and stem cells from within the bone marrow to activate cartilage, ligament and tendon healing. In a recently published, independently funded and peer-reviewed animal study, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania concluded that SmartShot best preserved the underlying subchondral bone compared to traditional marrow access approaches.
 
Dr. Norman Waldrop, a foot and ankle Surgeon at the Andrews Institute in Birmingham, Ala., and physician consultant for the University of Alabama and the New Orleans Saints, is a surgeon advisor and one of the first in the world to use SmartShot to treat ankle injuries. “SmartShot has allowed me to effectively treat focal chondral defects, even in patients with very hard bone. The unique mechanism of action and geometry of this newest iteration of SmartShot will enable less invasive treatment of cartilage injuries that are traditionally difficult to access,” he stated.
 
Dr. Carroll Jones, a foot and ankle surgeon at OrthoCarolina in Charlotte, N.C., was also among the first to use SmartShot to treat patients with cartilage injuries of the ankle. “The science shows SmartShot stimulates healing that results in more consistent remodeling, and I think SmartShot will revolutionize how we perform marrow stimulation,” Jones noted.
 
Founded in 2017, Marrow Access Technologies develops orthopedic surgical solutions that leverage the body’s natural healing for repair and regeneration of cartilage and other soft tissue. The platform SmartShot marrow access device is indicated for treating injuries in the knee, hip, shoulder, ankle, wrist, and elbow and has been used successfully in more than 1,000 patients.