Remplir - Nerve Wrap

Adrian Walsh (43) was diagnosed with quadriplegia after he broke his neck in a mountain bike accident in June 2017. He retained some movement in his elbows and upper arms, but his hands, torso, and legs were paralysed and his arms didn’t have enough strength to use a wheelchair on his own. Since his treatment with Remplir™, Adrian’s improved arm strength and function has given him more independence and the ability to take on new challenges, like wheelchair rugby.

Watch the video for more on Adrian’s story.

EARLY CLINICAL RESULTS

Early results from Orthocell’s clinical trial using Remplir™ in nerve repair (1) were extremely encouraging. The first patients to complete the trial experienced an 83 % improvement in muscle power and regained feeling in their limbs with no pain.

The encouraging early results from the trial gave Dr Alex O’Beirne, the trial’s Principal Investigator, the confidence to attempt nerve repair on more complex injuries. The most recent results from the first 12 patients have validated these early findings. At 12 months post-treatment:

• 96% of nerve repairs restored voluntary movement to previously paralysed muscles and
• 86% of patients who required prescription medication (including opioid-based medications) for chronic nerve pain were able to significantly reduce or stop using them.

Almost half the nerve repairs (11 of 25) were performed in three quadriplegic patients with partial or total loss of movement in both arms and legs. The results have been significant, with 73% of nerve repairs resulting in meaningful recovery of muscle function.

More information on Remplir™’s nerve regeneration trial can be found here. 

1. CTRN12616001157460 Case Series Study: Surgical Repair of Peripheral Nerve Injury with Remplir™ Collagen Scaffold.

Tensionless Repair

Nerve repair with Remplir™ does not require the use of sutures to hold the membrane in place (see Remplir™ surgical procedure below). Tensionless repair is highly desirable in nerve reconstruction for several reasons, but primarily because it reduces the risk of additional damage to the nerve, and it reduces the time needed to complete the surgery. Orthocell designed Remplir™ with handling characteristics to assist surgeons perform complex reconstructive surgical procedures with tensionless repair.