Smith and Nephew acquires BST-CarGel cartilage repair product

Smith and Nephew has announced the acquisition of a new first-line cartilage repair product from Piramal Healthcare in Canada.

BST-CarGel is a first-line cartilage repair product used along with microfracture and other bone marrow stimulation techniques for the initial treatment of focal cartilage tears of various sizes.

Approved in several countries worldwide, including Australia, Canada and most of Europe, this biopolymer-based solution is mixed with the blood and implanted into the joint following a microfracture procedure.

It can be delivered arthroscopically to treat damaged cartilage in synovial joints such as the knee, hip, ankle and shoulder. Once implanted, it functions as a scaffold, adhering to the cartilage surface to stabilise blood clots while new cartilage is regenerated.  

Scott Schaffner, vice-president for sports medicine for Smith and Nephew, said: "We are committed to seeking and investing in next-generation technologies to widen access across our global customer base."

This comes after the firm completed the acquisition of Blue Belt Technologies, a specialist surgical robotics business, earlier this month.