Cartiva

Cartiva, Inc. was a private orthopedic medical device company focused on developing solutions for cartilage damage and osteoarthritis. The company's President and CEO was Timothy Patrick. Cartiva developed a groundbreaking Synthetic Cartilage Implant (SCI) designed to treat arthritis at the base of the great toe (hallux rigidus). This condition affects a significant number of people, with approximately 120,000 surgeries performed annually in the U.S. to address it.

The company's flagship product, the Cartiva SCI, is made from a biocompatible, low-friction organic polymer composed of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). This hydrogel was engineered to mimic the physical properties of natural cartilage. The implant is a small, cylindrical device inserted into the metatarsal head to replace the damaged cartilage surface. A key benefit of this approach is that it reduces pain while preserving the joint's natural movement and range of motion, offering a distinct advantage over arthrodesis (joint fusion), the traditional standard of care which immobilizes the toe. The implantation procedure is relatively quick, taking about 35 minutes on an outpatient basis, and allows for immediate weight-bearing, contrasting with the longer recovery times associated with fusion surgery.

Cartiva's business model revolved around the sale of its SCI device to hospitals and surgery centers. The company achieved significant regulatory milestones, gaining CE Mark approval in Europe in 2002 and subsequent approvals in Canada, Brazil, and other regions. A pivotal moment for the company was receiving Premarket Approval (PMA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in July 2016, making it the first synthetic cartilage implant to be approved by the agency. This approval was based on a robust multicenter clinical trial that demonstrated the implant's effectiveness and safety as being comparable to fusion. The company demonstrated strong financial growth, with expected revenues of approximately $35 million in 2018, a 50% increase over the previous year. In a landmark event in August 2018, Wright Medical Group N.V. announced its definitive agreement to acquire Cartiva for a total of $435 million in cash, integrating the SCI technology into its lower extremities portfolio.

Keywords: Cartiva, Synthetic Cartilage Implant, SCI, osteoarthritis, hallux rigidus, great toe arthritis, joint replacement, orthopedic medical device, Wright Medical, Timothy Patrick, cartilage repair, foot and ankle surgery, polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel, joint preservation, arthrodesis alternative, PMA approved, medical implant, musculoskeletal, osteoarthritis treatment, metatarsophalangeal joint, MTP joint