Recruiting

Phase 1

AMIC vs. MicrofractureAMIC Compared With Microfracture for Focal Articular Cartilage Damage of the Hip

Sponsor:

McMaster University

Code:

NCT05402072

Conditions

Hip Arthroscopy

Articular Cartilage Defect

Microfractures

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 55

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Autologous matrix-induced chondrogenesis (AMIC)

Study Details

Brief summary:

This is a pilot multi-centre RCT of 40 patients (ages 18-55 years, inclusive) undergoing primary hip arthroscopy with a focal articular cartilage defect of the acetabulum to compare the effect of using autologous matrix-induced chondrogenesis (AMIC) in comparison to microfracture on hip function, health-related quality of life, hip pain, cartilage regeneration, health utility, and any adverse events at 2 years. Follow-up will occur at 6 weeks, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, and 24 months post-surgery.

Conditions

Hip Arthroscopy

Articular Cartilage Defect

Microfractures

Study ID

NCT05402072

Start date

Mar 13, 2023

Status verified date

Oct, 2026

Completion date

Dec 1, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Jun 1, 2027

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 55

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

1. All patients aged 18-55 years
2. Hip pain lasting 6 months or more with no relief from documented non-operative modalities
3. Focal articular cartilage defects of the acetabulum on MRI, confirmed to be full thickness (International Cartilage Regeneration and Joint Preservation Society (ICRS) grade 3 or 4) during arthroscopic examination
4. Focal acetabular articular cartilage lesions measuring between 3 cm2 and 25 cm2 on MRI and confirmed on arthroscopic examination
5. Patient agrees to participate in the study-specific postoperative rehabilitation protocol
6. Patient can speak, read, and understand the language of the site
7. Patient has provided informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Cartilage defects of the femoral head
2. Previous surgery on the study hip
3. Traumatic chondral injury of the hip from a single event
4. Presence of advanced osteoarthritis (Tonnis grade 3) or any other acute or chronic inflammatory joint disease
5. Known hypersensitivity or allergy to porcine collagen
6. Acute or chronic infection at the surgical site
7. Evidence of hip dysplasia (i.e., lateral centre edge angle < 20˚)
8. Evidence of acetabular over coverage such as coxa profunda or coxa protrusion
9. Immunosuppressive or anti-proliferative medication use
10. Chronic pain syndromes
11. Significant medical co-morbidities (requiring assistance for activities of daily living (ADLs))
12. History of paediatric hip disease
13. Uncontrolled diabetes
14. Contraindications to MRI imaging (e.g. claustrophobia)
15. Patient is involved in ongoing legal or workplace claims
16. Patient is incarcerated
17. Patient is pregnant or breastfeeding
18. Patient who will likely have problems, in the judgement of the investigator, with maintaining follow-up
19. Any other reason(s) the investigator feels is relevant for excluding the patient

Study Design

Enrollment

40 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

active comparator: Microfracture

As per current standard of care for focal articular cartilage lesions of the acetabulum, the unstable cartilage will be debrided and removed from the subchondral bone using a mechanical shaver until a stable margin is obtained. A ring curette will be used to remove the calcified cartilage layer and create a border of healthy cartilage tissue that can support the marrow clot. Through the mid-anterior portal, specialized 90˚ awls will then be placed with the tip perpendicular to the subchondral bone of the acetabulum, and a mallet will be used to penetrate the subchondral bone with perforations 3 mm deep to access the bone marrow elements. This is done until the defect is homogeneously covered with micro-perforations 2-3 mm apart.

experimental: Autologous matrix-induced chondrogenesis (AMIC)

Those allocated to the AMIC treatment group will also receive microfracture. Once the walls of the debrided lesion are confirmed to be stable with a probe, the exact size of the defect will be measured for templating of the scaffold. The dry Chondro-Gide® matrix will be prepared by cutting it to 10% smaller than the focal defect (as it increases in size about 10% after moistening). Once the cartilage lesion is dried manually, the implant will then be secured to the defect in a press-fit fashion to the surrounding cartilage. Manual pressure is then applied to secure the implant into the defect and the hip is released from traction and rotated to facilitate further fixation of the graft. Traction is then applied to arthroscopically confirm position and fixation of the implant.

Interventions

Autologous matrix-induced chondrogenesis (AMIC)

AMIC is a novel approach in which the microfracture technique has been enhanced by the use of a type I/III collagen matrix (Chondro-Gide®; Geistlich Pharma AG, Wolhusen, Switzerland). In this single-step procedure, the matrix is placed over the defect to stabilize the fragile blood clot that arises from microfracture and to provide infrastructure for repair tissue formation. Essentially, the matrix covers the defect and serves as a protective shield that contains the cells and minimizes the impact of shear forces when moving the hip on the delicate blood clot. At the same time, it functions as the roof of a biological chamber that forms over the defect. The biocompatible collagen material provides an environment for cell growth and is replaced by native tissue over time.

Primary outcome measure

Hip function and health-related quality of life using the International Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-33) [ Time Frame: Change from baseline to 24 months post-surgery ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Nicole Simunovic, MSc

2892373224 simunon@mcmaster.ca

Locations

McMaster University

Recruiting

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, L8N3Z5

Contacts

Nicole Simunovic, MSc

simunon@mcmaster.ca

Principal Investigator:

Olufemi R. Ayeni, MD, PhD, FRCSC

More Information

Sponsor

McMaster University

Last update posted

Oct 7, 2026

Last verified

Oct, 2026

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-10-23. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by McMaster University on 2026-10-07. Recruitment status is synced daily from ClinicalTrials.gov and may not reflect the sponsor's current status. Confirm during your call.