Dramatically improving chronic knee pain from osteoarthritis using an active steering telescopic microcatheter device in conjunction with a new ultra-low friction hydrophilic coating

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Chronic knee pain from osteoarthritis (OA) is prevalent in 12% of the global population over the age of 60 (Yuji Okuno, Amine Korchi, Takuma Shinjo, Shojiro Kato, Takao Kaneko, 2017). OA results in a loss of mobility and debilitating pain in those effected. It can ultimately lead to invasive knee replacement or reconstruction surgery. OA is responsible for more than 6 million steroid and non-steroid based knee injections globally each year. It is among the top three reasons, globally, for both opioid and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug prescriptions. Given the well documented economic benefit that comes with restored mobility in patients, the negative side effects of current drug treatments (addition for opioids and gastrointestinal complications for NSAIDs), the expense and recovery time associated with surgery, and the high ongoing cost of drug therapy, a new treatment paradigm for osteoarthritis is certainly needed. The end product is a device will allow Interventional Radiologists to reach deep into the anatomy and safely deliver targeted embolisation treatment to this patient population. It will operate and treat in arteries that are significantly smaller than those currently treated. The treatment has the potential to generate a €2Bn saving from the global healthcare spend and delivery meaningful long term pain relief for up to 90% of those treated.