New Knee Surgery Uses Coral Implants for Osteoarthritis Treatment

Innovative Knee Osteoarthritis Procedure

• 💡 A new surgical procedure is offering hope to individuals suffering from knee osteoarthritis.
• 🎯 This innovative treatment utilizes coral from the sea as a key component in knee surgeries.

Patient Experience and Motivation

• 🏃‍♀️ Tanya Akono, a competitive powerlifter, found relief from extreme knee discomfort and swelling after being told she might need a knee replacement.
• ✨ Learning about the procedure, which uses a cartilage repair implant called Cardiagility, felt like a "miracle" to her.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Akono's primary motivation for recovery is to be able to stay active and indestructible for her son.

The Cardiagility Procedure

• 🔬 The Cardiagility implant is made from coral, which is over 90% identical to bone in its chemical building blocks and structure.
• ✅ The body fully integrates the coral implant, making it part of the patient's own tissue.
• ⚠️ This procedure is a less invasive option for patients with early-stage arthritis and specific cartilage defects, not for knees that are completely destroyed.
• 🩹 The surgery involves removing damaged cartilage and inserting small coral plugs into the bone, stimulating the body to grow new cartilage over the implant.

Recovery and Outcomes

• 📈 The recovery is described as having much less pain and a smaller incision compared to a knee replacement, with most patients looking good at 6 weeks.
• ⛰️ Heidi Jones, who had the surgery a year and a half ago, is back to activities like box jumping, running, squatting, and even completed a 12,000-foot mountain climb.
• 🚀 The Cardiagility implant received FDA approval in 2022, and surgeons are optimistic it can help knees last much longer.