Patients gain access to innovative new procedure for treating knee osteoarthritis as HCA UK partners with Contura Orthopaedics
A newly formed partnership between Contura Orthopaedics and HCA UK will allow patients at The Princess Grace Hospital and the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health (ISEH) to receive Arthrosamid®, a single-use injection for treating knee osteoarthritis (OA).
HCA UK clinicians pledge to provide ‘added value’ to patients through detailed Physical follow-up protocol to help chart progress
London, September 2022; Contura Orthopaedics Ltd is pleased to announce that a major hospital group has signed up to Arthrosamid®, allowing clinicians to offer this novel procedure for treating knee osteoarthritis to its patients in London and across the UK.
The new partnership with HCA UK will initially see the single-use injection for knee osteoarthritis (OA) offered to patients at The Princess Grace Hospital and The Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health (ISEH). It will be performed by internationally recognised sport and exercise medicine physicians, who see patients for musculoskeletal disorders in addition to sporting injuries and complaints at its state-of-the-art facility located on Tottenham Court Road in Central London. The treatment will be rolled out across other facilities across the HCA Healthcare UK group in the coming months.
HCA UK and Contura Orthopaedics enters new partnership to offer Arthrosamid® to knee osteoarthritis patients
Arthrosamid® is a polyacrylamide hydrogel first developed by Contura International Ltd. It is a long-lasting intra-articular injection approved in Europe for the treatment of knee OA. The treatment has the potential to change the present care pathway for managing OA, which affects approximately
8.5 million people in the UK (around 1 in 5 people aged over 45 in England1). Despite this large suffering population, many current treatments have limited impact, with invasive knee replacement surgery often viewed as the ultimate solution.
The ongoing expansion of Arthrosamid® availability across the UK and Europe, represents an innovative solution to manage OA more effectively, and potentially delaying or even removing the need for surgery.
Consisting of 2.5% cross-linked polyacrylamide and 97.5% non-pyrogenic water, a single 6ml dose of Arthrosamid® is injected into the joint space to cushion the knee and relieve pain in one single treatment.2 Patients can expect to see improved mobility and pain relief within days where the effect is long-lasting. 3
Arthrosamid® becomes embedded in the synovial membrane, providing increased cushioning and bringing both pain relief and improved mobility to patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis. Interestingly, the development of Arthrosamid® followed impressive clinical data with Arthramid® Vet, a related product of the company, in the treatment of lameness in horses.
Signally the start of this exciting new partnership, Arthrosamid® has already been administered by Dr Noel Pollock at ISEH, treating patients who were considered currently ineligible for knee replacement surgery and, as such, were seeking long-lasting and non-invasive pain relief. The patients will now be followed up closely to observe potential benefits, ‘paving the way’ for more patients to make the informed decision of opting for Arthrosamid® as a viable treatment option for knee pain caused by OA.
Contura’s CEO, Rakesh Tailor comments:
“We’re delighted to be working with the teams at The Princess Grace Hospital and ISEH through our new relationship with HCA UK. What is really exciting is that world leading clinicians at these centres will also be offering all patients an ‘added value’ strength diagnostics and PROMS * from baseline, with individual follow-ups at 3,6 & 12 months to obtain a clearer understanding of how the patients progress, following treatment using Arthrosamid®.
He adds:
"The discomfort caused by knee OA can hugely impact a patient’s quality of life, making everyday activities really challenging. For patients not suitable for surgery, or deemed too young for a knee replacement, Arthrosamid® represents a game changing option as a safe non-degrading hydrogel in a single injection which can provide sustained pain relief. This latest collaboration with HCA will help to widen access to Arthrosamid®, taking us a step further towards fulfilling our vision of helping thousands more patients find relief from the pain of knee OA.”
New data (first released at the Annual Congress of OA Research International, OARSI, in March 2022) highlights impressive 2-year results, showing that a single injection of Arthrosamid® continued to be “well-tolerated and demonstrated clinically relevant and statistically significant effectiveness in reducing pain, at 2 years after treatment”4 In all trials to date, Arthrosamid® has been shown to have no serious adverse events with any device related events mild and transient in nature. And a growing number of anecdotal cases in Denmark report many patients, 5-8 years out from treatment are still pain free.
Professor Fares Haddad, Clinical Director at ISEH and Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, said:
“Arthrosamid is a novel treatment for patients with osteoarthritis who have not responded to standard treatments and are unsuitable for surgery or reluctant to consider it. Early evidence is encouraging and the team at ISEH are therefore undertaking a detailed analysis of its effectiveness and impact on pain and function.”
Professor Mathew Wilson, Head of Sport and Exercise Medicine at ISEH said:
“The Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health is excited to be partnering with Contura to collect robust scientific evidence on the potential effectiveness of this novel treatment on osteoarthritis. ISEH has integrated our dedicated musculoskeletal research unit to independently validate the potential benefits of this treatment in comparison to alternative treatments.”
About Contura
Contura is headquartered in London and has its manufacturing facility in Copenhagen, Denmark. It develops and manufactures innovative medical products in the fields of women’s health, orthopaedics and animal health using its unique, patented hydrogel technology. Its hydrogel-based products are non-particulate and biocompatible, allowing for its non-absorbable, non-migratory and highly durable properties. For more information, visit www.contura.com.
About The Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health (ISEH)
The Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health (ISEH) is an internationally recognised centre of excellence for sport and exercise medicine, widely known for its research and clinical expertise in key areas such as muscle injuries, respiratory medicine, sports cardiology, concussion/brain health, ligament reconstruction and return-to-performance following injury. The facility is dedicated to providing first-class, patient-centric care performed by world-renowned specialists via the centre’s clinical services.
The ISEH provides excellence in elite sports performance, sports injury prevention and management whilst bridging the gap between elite sport, amateur sports and exercise prescription to improve the health of the nation.
The ISEH is a proud partnership between UCLH (University College London Hospitals, NHS Foundation Trust), HCA Healthcare UK, UCL, the English Institute of Sport and the British Olympic Association.
As part of the treatment package, patients are eligible for a FREE physical performance assessment pre-injection, and then again at 3-6 and 12-months post-injection. This includes an evaluation of movement asymmetry, strength, balance and self-reported function.
How to receive Arthrosamid® treatment at ISEH
To make an Arthrosamid® appointment at ISEH, please contact Dr Noel Pollock’s office by emailing DrPollockPA@hcahealthcare.co.uk or calling +44 7540 965 812.
2. Christensen, L., Camitz, L., Illigen, K.E., Hansen, M., Sarvaa, R., Conaghan, P.G., 2016. Synovial incorporation of polyacrylamide hydrogel after injection into normal and osteoarthritic animal joints. Osteoarthritis and cartilage / OARS, Osteoarthritis Research Society 24, 1999-2002.
3. OARSI CONNECT 2021 POSTER 336 POLYACRYLAMIDE HYDROGEL INJECTION FOR KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS: RESULTS OF A 52 WEEK PROSPECTIVE STUDY Henning Bliddal, Anders Overgaard, Andreas Hartkopp, Jannie Beier, Philip G Conaghan, Marius Henriksen.
4. Bliddal H, A, Beier J, Hartkopp Conaghan PG, et al. (2022) A Prospective Study of Polyacrylamide Hydrogel Injection for Knee Osteoarthritis: Results from 2 years after treatment. Poster presented at OARSI 2022.
