The Problem
Osteoarthritis in the knee
Is the most common form of arthritis, and its incidence is rising. Without a cure, the most effective treatment remains total knee arthroplasty.
Pain is the most common symptom experienced by patients with knee OA.
Whilst the exact cause and subsequent development of knee OA pain is unclear, clinical imaging and biochemical observations indicate that inflammation may contribute to both pain and structural disease progression.
Knee Osteoarthritis (OA)
Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a long-term condition where the shock-absorbing cartilage is worn away causing bones to rub together and the joint to become stiff, swollen and painful. The knee joint worsens over time resulting in synovial pain and disability.
A growing demand for new non-surgical treatments
Despite OA being the most common type of arthritis and the fastest-growing cause of disability worldwide, the treatment area has seen minimal progression in the last 20 years. With so little known about exactly what causes knee OA, a permanent cure has yet to be discovered.
Treatments to date
Have focused on pain relief and managing the symptoms of the condition
- Options available to the one-third of over 65s currently living with OA worldwide have been limited
“However, surgery is not right for every patient, leaving many people in continued discomfort."
With surgical intervention through joint replacement, the only option for end-stage disease, there is a real need for better treatment strategies.
Of 1,504 respondents surveyed in the UK in March 2024:
43%
would pay for non-surgical procedures for chronic joint pain
58%
are concerned about side effects of surgery e.g pain and discomfort
61%
are anxious about surgery.