Australia’s growing ageing population (older Aussies are expected to make up 23% of the population by 2026) is not free of health issues, ranging from obesity to cracking hips. This has benefitted some medical fields more than others. Over the past decade, there has been a 140% increase in knee replacement surgeries, shooting up to nearly 70,000 in 2022. 

For medical tech company Next Science Limited (ASX: NXS), this revealed a notable opportunity. The Company has announced the presentation of a study into mitigating inflammation post Total Knee Arthroplasty, aka knee replacements.

Dr. Andrew B. Wickline, MD, FAAOS, presented the results of a preliminary investigation that showed a 54% reduction in inflammation within a two-week period, as compared to the typical benchmark. 

Dr Wickline commented “The results of the study are extremely pleasing as it appears we have found another tool for reducing inflammation and improving a patient’s post operative experience and accelerating their return to normal function – I look forward to broadening the research to a wider group of surgeons and patients.”

Dr Wickline practices at Genesee Orthopaedics and Plastic Surgery Associates in New York. He gained his orthopaedic surgery qualifications from Albany Medical Centre

Hospital and adult reconstructive surgery qualifications from Cleveland Clinic Health System. He also teaches anterior hip replacement and outpatient joint replacement techniques to surgeons in the USA and India.

Total Knee Arthroplasty, often called a “knee replacement”, is a surgical procedure used to replace a damaged or worn-out knee joint with an artificial joint made of metal and plastic. This is done to reduce pain and improve mobility for people who have severe knee arthritis or other knee joint issues.

A single surgeon conducted a study involving 60 patients, divided into two groups. In the first group, comprising 30 patients, the established practice of a three-minute sterile dilute iodine lavage was administered after the surgical procedure. In contrast, the second group of 30 patients received the advanced surgical irrigation solution, XPERIENCE™, developed by Next Science. The patients were assessed at 48-72 hours post-surgery and subsequently at 7-day intervals up to 42 days after the operation.

This initial investigation showcased notable findings. Within just 14 days, the XPERIENCE group showed a substantial 54% reduction in inflammation compared to the common industry standard, as gauged by standardised Loyd curves (typically used to compare performance of different treatments). Remarkably, the study noted that by day 14, the inflammation levels within the XPERIENCE™ group dropped below the Loyd 90th percentile. The researcher concluded that this might mark one of the lowest inflammation rates reported among surgeons in the United States.

The research findings highlighted several benefits of the reduced inflammation achieved. First, it showed a 5-degree increase in range of motion throughout the study period. Second, it noted a 10%-20% improvement in pain score throughout the study period. And finally, it reported an 18% lower opioid usage for pain relief at day 7 improving to 70% less usage at day 42, with XPERIENCE™ patients eliminating opiate use in half the time of control patients. The significant swelling reduction at several time points is statistically significant. 

Next Science Managing Director and CEO, I.V. Hall, added, “This study shows the impact of our XBIO™ technology on inflammation and the positive way it can impact a patient’s post-operative outcome and accelerate return to normal function. I look forward to evaluating further clinical challenges where we can have a similar impact on patient outcomes.”

In a 2021 article in The Journal of Arthroplasty, 58% of patients were concerned about post-surgery pain and physiotherapy-related discomfort. 18% of patients highlighted fears related to walking and carrying out daily tasks after the surgery as their top concern. The findings, therefore, become all the more encouraging.

At the end of June 2023, the Company had $5.36 million in cash, with over $13 million in customer receipts in H2 FY23.