Atlas System for OA Patients: First Results

The first data is out on the Atlas System, a unicompartmental joint unloading device for pre-arthroplasty knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients, developed by Moximed, Inc. As indicated in the May 9, 2016 news release, the data, “revealed that patients with the Atlas System experienced effective pain relief, regained range of motion, and returned to normal activity levels within several weeks. The Atlas System obtained CE Mark at the end of 2015, and the company is in the early phases of introducing the product to European customers.”

“We are seeing increasing numbers of younger patients with knee osteoarthritis who are looking for pain relief and the ability to get back to their active lifestyles, ” explained Robert Smigielski, M.D., of the Carolina Clinic in Warsaw, Poland, and a team doctor for the Polish Olympic team. “The data from our study show that these patients could benefit from the Atlas System and its joint unloading and joint preserving approach.”

As indicated in the news release, “Data from a 26-patient prospective, multi-center study presented at ESSKA [European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery & Arthroscopy] demonstrated that the Atlas System provides rapid, clinically effective pain relief and an excellent safety profile for patients with early knee OA in the pre-arthroplasty stage of their disease. WOMAC pain and functions scores improved from 53 ± 8 and 48 ± 17 at baseline to 17 ± 16 and 21 ± 17 at six months, respectively (lower scores represent improvement); 92% of patients experienced a clinically meaningful improvement on their WOMAC pain score, defined as a 10-point absolute improvement. Knee Society Pain and Function Scores improved from 62 ± 15 and 73 ± 14 at baseline to 91 ± 10 and 98 ± 4 at six months, respectively. Patients regained baseline range of motion (130 degrees) by 6 weeks to 3 months and returned to high impact activity levels, including basketball and running.”

“During ESSKA, Konrad Slynarski, M.D., Ph.D., of Lekmed Szpital in Warsaw, Poland presented his experience treating patients with early OA associated with a repetitive overload condition, such as degenerative meniscus, cartilage defects, and bone marrow edema. Eighteen consecutive patients were enrolled and achieved improvement in WOMAC pain scores from 53 ± 15 at baseline to 19 ± 15 at six months (p<0.001).”

“These are very promising results from a study that uniquely considered early OA, such as degenerative meniscal pathology and cartilage changes, in the included population, ” explained Dr. Slynarski. “Patients with a degenerative meniscus and early OA often experience a recurrence of symptoms only months after meniscectomy, and now they have a pre-arthroplasty treatment option to consider.”

“In a third presentation, Priv. Doz. Dr. med. Christoph Becher, a surgeon with the ATOS Klinik Heidelberg and an Associate Professor at Hannover Medical School, revealed data from an in vitro biomechanics study demonstrating that the 13 kg of unloading by the extra-capsular absorber reduces peak contact pressure by up to 30%.”

Dr. Smigielski told OTW, “The Atlas System is a next generation, unicompartmental joint unloader based on eight years of clinical experience. It is a reversible, pre-arthroplasty procedure targeting 35-60 year olds with early to moderate knee osteoarthritis. Target patients for Atlas are often already known in surgical practices, having progressed to early osteoarthritis after previous cartilage, meniscus, or ACL procedures.”

“Many surgeons, now convinced of joint unloading as a standalone treatment, are now interested in studying the effect of unloading in combination with cartilage regeneration procedures.”