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 early clinical findings reported from NanoACi 100.
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 treatment phase of NanoACi 100 is complete and the series is now in its observation stage. Professor Paul Lee reports encouraging early findings, with a four-point reduction in pain on the 0–10 visual analogue scale (VAS) at six-week follow-up. Analysis and follow-up are ongoing.
Clinical update reported by Professor Paul Lee on 19 October 2026. This is an early clinical report; the full analysis is ongoing.
Evidence library
The studies below examine the individual components in their own treatment settings. NanoACi 100 findings relate to the combined procedure and are reported separately above.
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 sits within the MSK injection therapies cohort study, covered by REC 26/SW/0096 and IRAS 375544.
Study background and ethics reference ↗Professor Paul Lee reports a four-point reduction on the 0–10 VAS pain scale in the early NanoACi 100 findings.
Analysis and follow-up are ongoing to document outcomes after treatment.
A fuller report is planned for publication following analysis. This page will be updated as findings become available.