Salt Lake City, December 4, 2025 – The L. S. Peery, M.D. Orthopaedic Innovation Center at the Department of Orthopaedics, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, University of Utah, today announced the completion of the first clinical case using the Reverse ChondroMatch™ procedure at the University Orthopaedic Center, University of Utah.
University Of Utah Orthopaedic Innovation Center Announces Completion of First ChondroMatch™ Case
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OTWPRankle jointcartilage defectsknee jointReverse ChondroMatch
Each year, more than 250,000 cartilage repair procedures are performed in the United States. Osteochondral allograft transplantation has rapidly emerged as a consensus first-line option for treating focal cartilage defects. This technique uses healthy living cartilage and underlying bone from a donor to restore joint surfaces damaged by injury or disease.
“Using the Reverse ChondroMatch™ system, I successfully treated an osteochondral defect on the tibial surface of the knee, an area that has historically been extremely difficult or impossible to treat using conventional techniques,” said Travis Maak, M.D., professor of orthopaedics at the University of Utah and team physician for the Utah Jazz NBA basketball team.
“The ability to perform this retrograde procedure arthroscopically opens the door to treating other challenging lesions, including those on the posterior femoral condyles in the knee joint or on the tibia in the ankle joint,” said Maak. “Because the approach is fully arthroscopic, it also can reduce morbidity and support a faster recovery in addition to treating patients that were previously largely untreatable.”
The Reverse ChondroMatch™ system, formerly known as rOCA, is the first member of the ChondroMatch™ family of instrumentation solutions for osteochondral allograft repair in the knee and ankle to enter clinical use.
· ChondroMatch™ Standard: a fully disposable, sterile kit designed for 10–16 mm lesions.
· ChondroMatch™ Plus: a fully disposable, sterile kit for larger and more complex 15–30 mm lesions.
· Reverse ChondroMatch™: a hybrid system combining reusable instrumentation with a sterile kit to enable a fully arthroscopic, retrograde repair of 8–14 mm lesions.
“The ChondroMatch™ platform is engineered to simplify procedural workflow, reduce operating room time, and improve accuracy in matching the three-dimensional native cartilage anatomy compared to current standard-of-care techniques.” Said Zack Evans, principal engineer at the L. S. Peery, M.D. Orthopaedic Innovation Center.
“This technology platform reflects the University’s strength in translating orthopedic innovation into real-world solutions,” said Bruce Hunter, chief innovation officer at the University of Utah’s Technology Licensing Office. “We’re poised to work with medical device companies and strategic partners to accelerate commercialization and expand access to these transformative technologies.”
The Orthopaedic Innovation Center is actively engaging with medical device companies and strategic partners interested in licensing or acquiring rights to the ChondroMatchÔ System for osteochondral repair.
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About the L.S. Peery, M.D. Orthopaedic Innovation Center (“OIC”)
The OIC is dedicated to advancing musculoskeletal health through novel medical device technologies, translational research, and partnerships with industry leaders. Located within the Department of Orthopaedics, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, University of Utah, and in collaboration with the Technology Licensing Office, the OIC has a proven track record of innovation and successful technology transfer. For more information regarding the OIC, contact Wade Fallin at wade.fallin@hsc.utah.edu.
About the Technology Licensing Office
The University of Utah Technology Licensing Office (TLO) is dedicated to fostering innovation and creating value through effective technology transfer. As a leader in managing intellectual property, the TLO empowers researchers and inventors by providing the resources and support needed to transform groundbreaking ideas into real-world solutions. By facilitating the journey from discovery to commercialization, the TLO plays a critical role in driving economic growth and societal impact.
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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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