Two companies. Marrow Access Technologies Partners, based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and Spartan Medical, of Rockville, Maryland, have teamed up to distribute a novel cartilage repair technology to the 9.1 million U.S. veterans and Department of Defense service members.
Novel Cartilage Repair Therapy Gets Major Boost
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Secondary#cartilagerepair#marrowaccesstechnologies#smartshot#spartanmedical
The technology from Marrow Access Technologies, brand named SmartShot, is a patented method for creating deep, microneedle channels into bone as a strategy to stimulate the patient’s healing reaction.
According to the companies, this penetration of the outer layers of bone allows blood and “stem cells” from within the bone marrow to activate cartilage, ligament, bone, 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.
Spartan Medical has agreed to distribute the SmartShot to patients in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DoD) to treat orthopedic soft tissue injuries of the knee, hip, shoulder, foot, and ankle.
Spartan Medical is a service-disabled veteran-owned business with access to the extensive federal marketplace of the Veterans Health Administration—one of the most extensive integrated healthcare systems in the U.S., catering to over 9.1 million veterans.
The company has been awarded over 700 contracts with the federal government and has served over 100 medical facilities and schools worldwide.
“We’re proud to give our veterans and wounded warriors access to the newest standard of care for marrow stimulation therapy, and our partnership with veteran-owned Spartan Medical will enable healing and recovery for thousands,” said Joseph Saladino, CEO and co-founder of Marrow Access Technologies.
Marrow Access Technologies
Founded in 2017, Marrow Access Technologies is focused on developing orthopedic surgical solutions that leverage the body’s natural healing to repair and regenerate cartilage and other soft tissue. The platform SmartShot marrow access device is indicated for treating knee, hip, shoulder, ankle, wrist, and elbow injuries and has been used successfully in more than 1,500 patients.
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This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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