Evidence
NanoACi brings together your own cartilage micrografts, a collagen scaffold and platelet-rich plasma in one procedure. Explore the published research behind these components and the progress of the NanoACi 100 series.
Published component research
Autologous cartilage micrografts have prospective observational data in knee osteoarthritis. ChondroFiller has published technical and clinical use across cartilage lesions. Platelet-rich plasma is a widely used autologous platelet concentrate with a general evidence base in joints and soft tissue.
NanoACi 100
The first 50 of 100 NanoACi treatments are complete and the series is progressing well. The earliest patients are now in structured follow-up.
Interim observation, November 2026: among the first patients to reach six-week follow-up, Professor Paul Lee reports an average reduction of about four points on the 0 to 10 pain scale. This is an early, unanalysed observation from an incomplete series, not a study result. The full analysis will be published when the dataset is complete.
Status updated November 2026.
Evidence library
The studies below examine the individual components in their own treatment settings. NanoACi 100 is the clinic’s own prospective series of the combined procedure; its progress is reported above and its outcomes will follow when the dataset is complete.
Improvement in pain and knee function. A 2023 prospective observational study followed 10 patients with early knee osteoarthritis after an injection of auricular cartilage micrografts. The researchers reported significant improvements in all five KOOS domains at one and six months, covering symptoms, pain, daily activities, sport and quality of life.
A separate 2024 pilot study of 10 patients assessed pain and function using VAS, KOOS and WOMAC measures and reported improvement in osteoarthritis symptoms after micrograft treatment. These studies examine the cartilage micrograft component used in the NanoACi approach.
Prospective observational study of a non-arthroscopic AMT procedure in early knee OA ↗Clinical outcomes of Rigenera autologous micrografting in knee osteoarthritis ↗Mytocel MSK — technology overview ↗A scaffold for cartilage repair. ChondroFiller is a cell-free type I collagen matrix. Its published clinical literature includes use in cartilage defects in the hip and wrist, examining repair tissue as well as clinical outcomes.
In a 2025 wrist-fracture study, 25 of 59 patients received ChondroFiller for residual cartilage defects during surgery. Repeat arthroscopy in eight treated patients, compared with seven controls, found better cartilage quality in the treated group. This provides clinical information about scaffold use in surgically treated wrist defects.
Meidrix ChondroFiller® liquid — manufacturer information ↗ChondroFiller in wrist cartilage defects following distal radius fractures ↗Arthroscopic use of ChondroFiller gel for cartilage defects ↗PRP concentrates platelets from the patient’s own blood and provides growth factors. In NanoACi it supplies the signalling component alongside cartilage micrografts and the collagen scaffold. Randomised knee osteoarthritis studies have assessed pain and function with different PRP preparations and injection schedules.
A randomised study of 192 patients comparing leukocyte-rich and leukocyte-poor PRP reported improved knee scores in both groups at 12 months. Results vary by study and preparation: the placebo-controlled RESTORE trial did not find a significant advantage over saline at 12 months. These studies inform the component’s clinical use, rather than testing the NanoACi combination.
PRP formulations: 192-patient randomised study ↗RESTORE: placebo-controlled PRP study ↗NanoACi 100
NanoACi 100 is a prospective consecutive case series of the combined procedure, with assessments planned at baseline, six weeks and 3, 6, 12 and 24 months.
Study design and status ↗Half of the planned series has been treated and the earliest patients have reached their six-week and later follow-up points.
Every patient is followed through the planned assessment points as the series continues towards 100.
A fuller report is planned for publication following analysis. This page will be updated as findings become available.