Trial Outcomes & Findings for Superiority of MACI® Versus Microfracture Treatment in Patients With Symptomatic Articular Cartilage Defects in the Knee (NCT NCT00719576)

NCT ID: NCT00719576

Last Updated: 2021-05-12

Results Overview

The KOOS is a validated knee-specific instrument developed to assess the patients' opinion of their knee and associated problems. KOOS consists of 5 subscales: Pain, Function in sports and recreational activities, other Symptoms, Function in activities of daily living (ADL), and knee related Quality of life (QOL). A 5-point Likert scale was used to record the response to each item ranging from 0 (no problems) to 4 (extreme problems). Within each subscale, items were added up and normalized to a value between 0 (extreme problems) and 100 (no problems). Subscales are not combined to calculate a total score.

Recruitment status

COMPLETED

Study phase

PHASE3

Target enrollment

144 participants

Primary outcome timeframe

Baseline and Week 104

Results posted on

2021-05-12

Participant Flow

Participant milestones

Participant milestones
Measure
MACI
autologous cultured chondrocytes on porcine collagen membrane
Microfracture
Microfracture Microfracture: Microfracture
Overall Study
STARTED
72
72
Overall Study
COMPLETED
70
67
Overall Study
NOT COMPLETED
2
5

Reasons for withdrawal

Withdrawal data not reported

Baseline Characteristics

Superiority of MACI® Versus Microfracture Treatment in Patients With Symptomatic Articular Cartilage Defects in the Knee

Baseline characteristics by cohort

Baseline characteristics by cohort
Measure
MACI
n=72 Participants
autologous cultured chondrocytes on porcine collagen membrane
Microfracture
n=72 Participants
Microfracture
Total
n=144 Participants
Total of all reporting groups
Age, Continuous
34.8 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 9.16 • n=113 Participants
32.9 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 8.78 • n=163 Participants
33.8 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 9.00 • n=160 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
27 Participants
n=113 Participants
24 Participants
n=163 Participants
51 Participants
n=160 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
45 Participants
n=113 Participants
48 Participants
n=163 Participants
93 Participants
n=160 Participants
Region of Enrollment
Czech Republic
13 participants
n=113 Participants
11 participants
n=163 Participants
24 participants
n=160 Participants
Region of Enrollment
Netherlands
28 participants
n=113 Participants
30 participants
n=163 Participants
58 participants
n=160 Participants
Region of Enrollment
Sweden
1 participants
n=113 Participants
1 participants
n=163 Participants
2 participants
n=160 Participants
Region of Enrollment
Norway
3 participants
n=113 Participants
3 participants
n=163 Participants
6 participants
n=160 Participants
Region of Enrollment
Poland
14 participants
n=113 Participants
14 participants
n=163 Participants
28 participants
n=160 Participants
Region of Enrollment
United Kingdom
4 participants
n=113 Participants
4 participants
n=163 Participants
8 participants
n=160 Participants
Region of Enrollment
France
9 participants
n=113 Participants
9 participants
n=163 Participants
18 participants
n=160 Participants

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: Baseline and Week 104

Population: All randomized patients

The KOOS is a validated knee-specific instrument developed to assess the patients' opinion of their knee and associated problems. KOOS consists of 5 subscales: Pain, Function in sports and recreational activities, other Symptoms, Function in activities of daily living (ADL), and knee related Quality of life (QOL). A 5-point Likert scale was used to record the response to each item ranging from 0 (no problems) to 4 (extreme problems). Within each subscale, items were added up and normalized to a value between 0 (extreme problems) and 100 (no problems). Subscales are not combined to calculate a total score.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
MACI
n=72 Participants
autologous cultured chondrocytes on porcine collagen membrane
Microfracture
n=72 Participants
Microfracture Microfracture: Microfracture
Change From Baseline to Week 104 for the Participant's Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) Pain and Function (Sports and Recreational Activities) Scores.
Change from Baseline KOOS Pain
45.45 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 21.08
35.23 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 23.91
Change From Baseline to Week 104 for the Participant's Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) Pain and Function (Sports and Recreational Activities) Scores.
Change from Baseline KOOS Function
46.04 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 28.35
35.83 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 31.63

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: Week 104

Population: includes all subjects with histology follow-up data

The mean microscopic International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) II overall assessment score was used to assess the histology efficacy endpoint. Scoring of the cartilage repair biopsies was completed using the ICRS II histology scoring system (Mainil-Varlet, 2010, Am J Sports Med) by 2 independent pathologists blinded to the patient's assigned study treatment. This scoring system includes 14 parameters, comprising an overall assessment score reported here, as well as 13 other items related to chondrocyte phenotype, tissue structure, and other factors, each scored on a scale from 0 to 100 representing poor to good quality cartilage.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
MACI
n=60 Participants
autologous cultured chondrocytes on porcine collagen membrane
Microfracture
n=56 Participants
Microfracture Microfracture: Microfracture
Histological Evaluation of Structural Repair of Evaluable Biopsies Harvested From the Core of the Index Lesion During Arthroscopy at Week 104
63.8 units on a scale
Interval 0.0 to 95.0
62.3 units on a scale
Interval 7.0 to 97.0

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: Week 104

Population: Number of participants with MRI data at Week 104

Number of participants with MRI degree of defect fill \> 50%. Evaluation of MRI data was performed by independent central review blinded to the participant's treatment. Appropriate MRI sequences were used to image cartilage repair tissue.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
MACI
n=70 Participants
autologous cultured chondrocytes on porcine collagen membrane
Microfracture
n=69 Participants
Microfracture Microfracture: Microfracture
Assessment of Defect Fill by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
58 Participants
53 Participants

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: Week 104

A responder is defined as a participant with at least a 10-point improvement in both the KOOS Pain and Function (Sports and Recreational activities) scores from Baseline

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
MACI
n=72 Participants
autologous cultured chondrocytes on porcine collagen membrane
Microfracture
n=72 Participants
Microfracture Microfracture: Microfracture
Response Rate Based on KOOS Pain and Function (Sports and Recreational Activities) Scores at Week 104.
63 Participants
49 Participants

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: Week 104

The planned analyses concerning time to treatment failure were not conducted due to the small number of per protocol treatment failure cases. As such, the number of participants with treatment failure is being reported. Patients were considered as a treatment failure if all of the following 5 criteria were met: 1. Patient's global assessment of their knee joint compared to Baseline was the same or worse 2. Physician's global assessment of the patient's knee joint compared to Baseline was the same, worse, or significantly worse. 3. Percent improvement from Baseline in KOOS Pain score was less than 10%. 4. Physician diagnostic evaluation of failure excluded etiologies (eg, meniscal tear) other than failed treatment of the index lesion. 5. The physician decided that surgical re-treatment of the index lesion(s) was required that involved either extensive debridement for lesion expansion, violation of the subchondral bone, or autologous cultured chondrocyte implantation.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
MACI
n=72 Participants
autologous cultured chondrocytes on porcine collagen membrane
Microfracture
n=72 Participants
Microfracture Microfracture: Microfracture
Treatment Failure
0 Participants
2 Participants

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: Baseline and Week 104

The KOOS is a validated knee-specific instrument developed to assess the patients' opinion of their knee and associated problems. KOOS consists of 5 subscales: Pain, Function in sports and recreational activities, other Symptoms, Function in activities of daily living (ADL), and knee related Quality of life (QOL). A 5-point Likert scale was used to record the response to each item ranging from 0 (no problems) to 4 (extreme problems). Within each subscale, items were added up and normalized to a value between 0 (extreme problems) and 100 (no problems).

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
MACI
n=72 Participants
autologous cultured chondrocytes on porcine collagen membrane
Microfracture
n=72 Participants
Microfracture Microfracture: Microfracture
Change From Baseline at Week 104 in the Remaining 3 Subscales of the KOOS Instrument (Activities of Daily Living, Knee-related Quality of Life, and Other Symptoms)
Change from Baseline in Activities of Daily Living
43.70 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 24.52
32.76 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 26.78
Change From Baseline at Week 104 in the Remaining 3 Subscales of the KOOS Instrument (Activities of Daily Living, Knee-related Quality of Life, and Other Symptoms)
Change from Baseline in KOOS Quality of Life
37.41 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 27.24
29.93 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 28.11
Change From Baseline at Week 104 in the Remaining 3 Subscales of the KOOS Instrument (Activities of Daily Living, Knee-related Quality of Life, and Other Symptoms)
Change from Baseline in KOOS Other Symptoms
35.47 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 20.83
27.31 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 24.59

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: Week 104

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
MACI
n=72 Participants
autologous cultured chondrocytes on porcine collagen membrane
Microfracture
n=72 Participants
Microfracture Microfracture: Microfracture
Participants With Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events
55 Participants
60 Participants

Adverse Events

MACI

Serious events: 11 serious events
Other events: 55 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Microfracture

Serious events: 19 serious events
Other events: 58 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Serious adverse events

Serious adverse events
Measure
MACI
n=72 participants at risk
autologous cultured chondrocytes on porcine collagen membrane
Microfracture
n=72 participants at risk
Microfracture
Cardiac disorders
Arrhythmia
1.4%
1/72 • Week 104
0.00%
0/72 • Week 104
Gastrointestinal disorders
Abdominal pain
0.00%
0/72 • Week 104
1.4%
1/72 • Week 104
General disorders
Impaired healing
1.4%
1/72 • Week 104
1.4%
1/72 • Week 104
General disorders
Treatment failure
1.4%
1/72 • Week 104
5.6%
4/72 • Week 104
Infections and infestations
Pneumonia
1.4%
1/72 • Week 104
0.00%
0/72 • Week 104
Infections and infestations
Postoperative wound infection
0.00%
0/72 • Week 104
1.4%
1/72 • Week 104
Infections and infestations
Wound infection staphylococcal
0.00%
0/72 • Week 104
1.4%
1/72 • Week 104
Injury, poisoning and procedural complications
Cartilage injury
2.8%
2/72 • Week 104
8.3%
6/72 • Week 104
Injury, poisoning and procedural complications
Graft delamination
1.4%
1/72 • Week 104
0.00%
0/72 • Week 104
Injury, poisoning and procedural complications
Head injury
0.00%
0/72 • Week 104
1.4%
1/72 • Week 104
Injury, poisoning and procedural complications
Meniscus lesion
2.8%
2/72 • Week 104
0.00%
0/72 • Week 104
Injury, poisoning and procedural complications
Transplant failure
1.4%
1/72 • Week 104
0.00%
0/72 • Week 104
Injury, poisoning and procedural complications
Traumatic fracture
0.00%
0/72 • Week 104
1.4%
1/72 • Week 104
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders
Arthralgia
0.00%
0/72 • Week 104
4.2%
3/72 • Week 104
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders
Arthritis
0.00%
0/72 • Week 104
1.4%
1/72 • Week 104
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders
Joint lock
0.00%
0/72 • Week 104
1.4%
1/72 • Week 104
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders
Knee deformity
1.4%
1/72 • Week 104
0.00%
0/72 • Week 104
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders
Loose body in joint
0.00%
0/72 • Week 104
1.4%
1/72 • Week 104
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders
Osteochondrosis
0.00%
0/72 • Week 104
1.4%
1/72 • Week 104
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders
Pain in extremity
0.00%
0/72 • Week 104
1.4%
1/72 • Week 104
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders
Patellofemoral pain syndrome
0.00%
0/72 • Week 104
1.4%
1/72 • Week 104
Neoplasms benign, malignant and unspecified (incl cysts and polyps)
Prostate cancer
1.4%
1/72 • Week 104
0.00%
0/72 • Week 104
Nervous system disorders
Multiple sclerosis
0.00%
0/72 • Week 104
1.4%
1/72 • Week 104
Pregnancy, puerperium and perinatal conditions
Abortion spontaneous
1.4%
1/72 • Week 104
1.4%
1/72 • Week 104
Renal and urinary disorders
Urinary retention
1.4%
1/72 • Week 104
0.00%
0/72 • Week 104
Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders
Pulmonary embolism
1.4%
1/72 • Week 104
1.4%
1/72 • Week 104
Vascular disorders
Thrombosis
1.4%
1/72 • Week 104
0.00%
0/72 • Week 104

Other adverse events

Other adverse events
Measure
MACI
n=72 participants at risk
autologous cultured chondrocytes on porcine collagen membrane
Microfracture
n=72 participants at risk
Microfracture
General disorders
Pyrexia
5.6%
4/72 • Week 104
2.8%
2/72 • Week 104
Infections and infestations
Influenza
5.6%
4/72 • Week 104
6.9%
5/72 • Week 104
Infections and infestations
Nasopharyngitis
13.9%
10/72 • Week 104
9.7%
7/72 • Week 104
Injury, poisoning and procedural complications
Procedural pain
4.2%
3/72 • Week 104
5.6%
4/72 • Week 104
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders
Back pain
11.1%
8/72 • Week 104
9.7%
7/72 • Week 104
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders
Joint effusion
6.9%
5/72 • Week 104
5.6%
4/72 • Week 104
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders
Joint swelling
9.7%
7/72 • Week 104
5.6%
4/72 • Week 104
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders
Ligament sprain
2.8%
2/72 • Week 104
5.6%
4/72 • Week 104
Nervous system disorders
Headache
18.1%
13/72 • Week 104
29.2%
21/72 • Week 104
Gastrointestinal disorders
Abdominal Pain
0.00%
0/72 • Week 104
6.9%
5/72 • Week 104
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders
Arthralgia
51.4%
37/72 • Week 104
63.9%
46/72 • Week 104

Additional Information

Ann Remmers, Senior Director, Clinical Science

Vericel Corporation

Phone: 734-428-4526

Results disclosure agreements

  • Principal investigator is a sponsor employee
  • Publication restrictions are in place

Restriction type: GT60