Nose cartilage could fix your knee: new trial underway
NCT ID NCT06576583
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This phase II trial tests whether a graft made from a patient's own nasal cartilage can treat patellofemoral osteoarthritis (knee arthritis). 150 adults with knee pain will receive either the nasal cartilage implant or standard care (a minor procedure or partial knee replacement). The main goal is to see if the implant improves knee function and pain over two years.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- nasal cartilage cells grown into a graft (N-TEC)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could offer a new, less invasive treatment option for knee osteoarthritis that uses the patient's own nasal cartilage to repair damaged knee joints.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early phase II trial with only 150 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The procedure is complex and may not work better than existing treatments.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
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About 150 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jul 2025
- Expected to finish
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Jan 2030
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 70 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Patient age is ≥18 and ≤ 70 years at time of screening. * Symptomatic PFOA grade 1-4 according to Iwano Classification * Chondropathy Grade 3-4 according to ICRS classification of the patella, trochlea femoris or both * Baseline score of \<75 on the KOOS-5 subjective knee evaluation. * Free range of motion of the affected knee joint or ≤ 5° of extension loss and minimum 125° flexion. * Patient is willing and able to give written informed consent to participate in the study and to comply with all study requirements, including attending all follow-up visits and assessments and to complete postoperative rehabilitation regimen. * Minimum values for women: Haemoglobin 120g/l, Platelets 150G/l, INR\<1.3 * Minimum values for men: Haemoglobin 140g/l, Platelets 150G/l, INR\<1.3 * Patients have failed to demonstrate adequate response to non-pharmacological interventions (e.g. structured land-based exercise programs) and pharmacological first-line treatment such as topical NSAIDs Exclusion Criteria: * Patient is the investigator or any sub-investigator, research assistant, pharmacist, study coordinator, other staff or relative thereof directly involved in the conduct of the protocol or in a dependency or employment with the sponsor. * Patient is unwilling, unable or lacking the capacity to provide informed consent * Patient is unable to undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) * Prior surgical treatment of the target knee within 12 months (Note: prior diagnostic arthroscopy with debridement and lavage are acceptable within 12 months). * Radiologically apparent degenerative joint disease of the tibiofemoral joint as determined by X-ray (Kellgren and Lawrence grade \> 2) or MRI or pain in the tibiofemoral joint as assessed by clinical examination * Patient has excessive varus or valgus deformity (\>5°), unless corrected during implantation * Patient has a symptomatic meniscus lesion (or removal exceeding ½), as indicated by clinical examination (joint line tenderness and McMurray test positive) and MRI. * Patient has a body mass index (BMI) \>35 kg/m2. * Patient has chronic rheumatoid arthritis, and/or infectious arthritis * Any concomitant painful or disabling disease of the spine, hips, or lower limbs that would interfere with evaluation of the afflicted knee. * Patient has a known immunological suppressive disorder or is taking systemic immunosuppressives. * Patient had any intra-articular injections into the affected knee within the last 3 months before baseline visit * Instability of anterior, posterior and/or collateral ligaments * The patient has a HIV/AIDS infection. (regulatory requirement) * The patient has an acute Treponema pallidum (syphilis) infection. (regulatory requirement) * The patient has an active hepatitis B or C infection with verified antigens. Patients with a cured hepatitis B or C infection and/or verified antibodies are not excluded. (regulatory requirement) * Patient is pregnant, breast feeding or anticipates becoming pregnant within 24 months after surgery. * Patient is currently participating or has participated in any other clinical study within 3 months prior to the screening visit. * Patient has known current or recent history of illicit drug or alcohol abuse or dependence defined as the continued use of alcohol or drugs despite the development of social, legal or health problems. * Patient has any other condition, which, in the opinion of the investigator, would make the patient unsuitable for the study. * Known allergies for porcine collagen (scaffold), penicillin or streptomycin (manufacturing) * Nail-patella syndrome * Patients who will likely benefit from conservative therapy, such as physiotherapy, medical training therapy and pain medication * Patients with increased anesthesiological and surgical risks (e.g. known or predicted difficult airway, myocardial infarction \<60 days prior to surgery) * Patients with increased bleeding risk (e.g. coagulopathies) * Patients on anticoagulants whose anticoagulant therapy cannot be interrupted as appropriate to the given agent(s) and underlying condition * Patients with any active infections
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
11 sites in 8 countries. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Crossklinik
RECRUITINGBasel, 4054, Switzerland
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Department of Orthopaedics, University of Gothenburg (UGOT)
RECRUITINGMölndal, 80, Sweden
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Evangelisches Waldkrankenhaus Spandau
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGBerlin, 13589, Germany
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Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGRome, 00128, Italy
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IRCCS Ospedale Galeazzi-Sant'Ambrogio
RECRUITINGMilan, 20157, Italy
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Maastricht University Medical Center
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGMaastricht, 6229 HX, Netherlands
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Orthopedic Clinic König-Ludwig-Haus
RECRUITINGWürzburg, 97074, Germany
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Orthopedic Hospital Vienna-Speising
RECRUITINGVienna, 1130, Austria
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University Hospital Basel
RECRUITINGBasel, 4031, Switzerland
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University Hospital Sveti Duh
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGZagreb, 10000, Croatia
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Zeromski hospital
RECRUITINGKrakow, 31-913, Poland
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- New scan technique could pinpoint exactly where knee pain starts
- Nose cells could fix your knee: new implant trial launches
- New knee implant aims to ease arthritis without cutting bone
- Knee pain showdown: PRP vs. hyaluronic acid – which injection works better?
- New knee implant under review: could it ease arthritis pain?