ArthroSave has developed a unique joint saving treatment for
patients with severe knee osteoarthritis. A new investment round of € 2.6 million, led by Oost NL,
enables ArthroSave to perform clinical trials and to accelerate the commercialisation of the
KneeReviver.
Patients with knee osteoarthritis have a damaged knee joint and suffer from persistent pain every
day. In Europe alone over 2.2 million patients are affected by knee osteoarthritis and is increasing
dramatically, due to rising obesity rates and aging population. The only effective treatment so far is
replacement with an artificial knee joint. However, artificial joints have a limited life span and fail
over time, requiring revision surgery associated with higher mortality, inferior outcomes and higher
costs. With more young people presenting with knee osteoarthritis and increasing life expectancy,
there is an unmet need to postpone time to first knee replacement.
Allowing people to return to an active way of life
Karianne Lindenhovius, CEO and co-founder of ArthroSave, explains: “ArthroSave has developed the
KneeReviver enabling knee joint distraction as a joint preserving solution. Knee joint distraction with
the KneeReviver is a temporary treatment that unloads the knee joint for six weeks. This results in
relief of pain and improvement of function. Due to regeneration of the joint, the original knee joint
will be preserved. This will postpone the knee placement surgery for 10 more years and will prevent
complex revision surgery later in life.”
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In recent years ArthroSave has been able to finalise the first KneeReviver clinical trial with promising
clinical results, obtained CE mark and successfully operated patients on a small scale. “With this new
investment we can perform additional clinical trials and accelerate our commercial strategy and
introduce the KneeReviver on the international orthopedic market. We are happy that existing
investors Oost NL, Utrecht Holdings, MSB Isala and Weskiway and also new investors Essential
Investments and a group of informal investors support us during this journey”, says Lindenhovius.
Investment to accelerate commercialization
Thomas Hensel, Investment manager Health at Oost NL: “ArthroSave’s solution gives patients with
knee osteoarthritis more quality of life. In addition, it is a solution that helps reduce healthcare costs,
as potentially fewer artificial knee repair surgeries are needed. That combination makes ArthroSave a
valuable company that has developed positively in recent years. Reason for us to invest again in
Karianne and her team.” Oost NL invests from ‘Energie- en Innovatiefonds Gelderland’, an innovation
fund from the province of Gelderland that Oost NL manages.
Benjamin Sieters, Investment manager at Essential Investments: “ArthroSave has developed a unique
solution for knee joint regeneration. This will enable millions of patients to retain their knee joint
while eliminating arthritic damage and pain. With the increasing occurrence of osteoarthritis, this
product will have a major impact on healthcare and society. We are happy to support the company in
this ambition and throughout the critical steps to the market.“
About ArthroSave
ArthroSave is a spin-off company of UMC Utrecht in the Netherlands. The company has been
founded in 2016 to translate the knee joint distraction invention of orthopedic surgeon Peter van
Roermund into a tangible solution for broad implementation in patient healthcare.
About Oost NL
Oost NL (East Netherlands Development Agency) is an agency focusing helping local companies
achieve sustainable growth, innovation, and internationalization. Oost NL acts as a bridge between
government, companies and knowledge institutes and supports starting and growth-phase SMEs
with risk capital and knowledge, networks, and contacts.
About Essential Investments
Essential Investments is a seed capital fund focusing on high tech companies within the life sciences
sector. The Netherlands-based fund provides seed and early-stage investments for R&D-intensive
startups and ventures. Backed by experienced angel investors and a strong network, the fund uses a
hands-on mentality to help innovations reach the market.
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