Arthritis is a disease affecting millions of people worldwide that causes degenerative changes to articular cartilage. Arthritis can progress slowly and is typically diagnosed at a late and irreversible stage of the disease. Current cartilage evaluation techniques do not reflect the load bearing function of articular cartilage and often lack sensitivity to early degenerative changes.

The Arthro-BST™ is a promising new technology designed to:

• Evaluate precisely and accurately the functional properties of articular cartilage.
• Contribute to the understanding of joint diseases and the development of new therapeutic products.

The Arthro-BST™ is a hand-held medical device that was designed to be used during arthroscopy to evaluate articular cartilage in joints including the knee. The Arthro-BST™ measures streaming potentials, which are generated during gentle compression of the cartilage surface using a disposable tip with an array of microelectrodes located at its extremity. The Arthro-BST™ calculates a quantitative parameter which reflects the state of health of the cartilage including level of degeneration and associated function.

The Arthro-BST™ is based on proprietary technology and is unique since it allows for a user-friendly and reproducible assessment of cartilage function that is independent of the way the measurement is performed. The Arthro-BST™ has not yet been approved for sale in any country.

How Does it Work?
Healthy Cartilage Normal Streaming Potentials During compression of normal cartilage, interstitial fluid flow displaces positive mobile ions relative to negatively charged proteoglycans entrapped within the collagen network, thus creating streaming potentials.
Arthritic Cartilage Low Streaming Potentials Compression of arthritic cartilage generates low streaming potentials due to a loss of proteoglycans and a weakening of the collagen network.

Scientific Publications

2009

Changoor A., Quenneville E., Garon M., Hurtig M.B., Buschmann, M.D., (2009) Streaming Potential-Based Arthroscopic Device Can Detect Changes Immediately Following Localized Impact in an Equine Impact Model of Osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, Vol. 17, Supplement 1, S53, World Congress on Osteoarthritis, September 2009, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Poster

2008

Hurtig M.B., Quenneville E., Garon M., Buschmann M.D. Legare A. (2008) Evaluation of a Medical Device for Assessment of Cartilage Degeneration After Impact Injury. Transactions of the 54th Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, San Francisco, CA, USA, 33:723. Abstract, Poster

Garon M., Buschmann M.D., (2008) Non-Homogeneous Electromechanical Properties of articular Cartilage Predict an Electrical Potential of Positive Polarity outside Cartilage. Transactions of the 54th Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, San Francisco, CA, USA, 33:629. Abstract

2007

Garon M., Legare A., Quenneville E., Sims T.J., Hollander A.P., Shive M.S., Restrepo A., Buschmann M.D., (2007) Arthroscopic Device Measuring Streaming Potentials Reliably indicates Functional Properties of Cartilage. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, Vol. 15, Supplement C, 254, World Congress on Osteoarthritis, December 2007, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA. Poster

Garon M., Legare A., Quenneville E., Sims T.J., Hollander A.P., Hurtig M.B., Shive M.S., Buschmann M.D., (2007) Cartilage Streaming Potentials Measured with an Arthroscopic Medical Device Correlate with Site-specific Biochemical and Biomechanical Properties of Equine Articular Cartilage. Transactions International Cartilage Repair Society, 22.6, September 2007, Warsaw, Poland. Slides

Garon M., Legare A., Quenneville E., Sims T.J., Hollander A.P., Shive M.S., Restrepo A., Buschmann M.D., (2007) Streaming Potentials Measured with an Arthroscopic Medical Device are Reliable Indicators of Biochemical and Biomechanical Properties of Human Articular Cartilage. Transactions International Cartilage Repair Society, 5.3, September 2007, Warsaw, Poland. Slides

Garon M., Cloutier L., Legare A., Quenneville E., Shive M.S., Buschmann M.D., (2007) Reliability and Correlation to Human Articular Cartilage Mechanical Properties of a Streaming Potential based Arthroscopic Instrument. Transactions of the 53th Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, San Diego, CA, USA, 32:629. Abstract

Changoor A., Quenneville E., Garon M., Cloutier L., Hurtig M.B., Buschmann, M.D., (2007) Streaming Potential-Based Arthroscopic Device Discerns Topographical Differences In Cartilage Covered And Uncovered By Meniscus In Ovine Stifle Joints. Transactions of the 53th Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, San Diego, CA, USA, 32:631. Abstract, Poster

2004

Quenneville E., Garon M., Legare A., Buschmann M.D., (2004) Positive Electric Potentials Detected at the Cartilage/Bath Interface During Compression and their Importance in Clinical Cartilage Diagnostics. Transactions of the 50th Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, San Francisco, CA, USA, 29:528. Abstract

2003

Garon M., Legare A., Quenneville E., Hurtig M., Buschmann M.D., (2003) Streaming Potential based Arthroscopic Instrument Distinguishes Site-Specific Properties of Equine Articular Cartilage. Transactions of the 49th Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, New Orleans, LA, USA, 28:255. Abstract

Quenneville E., Garon M., Legare A., Hurtig M., Buschmann M.D., (2003) Load and Streaming Potential Responses of Articular Cartilage as a Function of Compression Speed during Indentation. Transactions of the 49th Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, New Orleans, LA, USA, 28:659. Abstract

2002

Garon M., Legare A., Guardo R., Savard P., Buschmann, M.D. (2002) Streaming Potentials Maps are Spatially Resolved Indicators of Amplitude, Frequency and Ionic Strength Dependant Responses of Articular Cartilage to Load. Journal of Biomechanics. 35, pp.207-216. PubMed

Legare A., Garon M., Guardo R., Savard P., Buschmann, M.D. (2002) Detection and Analysis of Cartilage Degeneration by Spatially Resolved Streaming Potentials. Journal of Orthopaedic Research. 20(4), pp. 208-215. PubMed

1998

Legare A., Garon M., Guardo R., LeGuyader P., Savard P., Buschmann M.D. (1998) Detection of Cartilage Degeneration by Spatially Resolved Streaming Potentials. Transactions of the 44th Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, New Orleans, LA, USA, 23:659.

1997

Garon M., Guardo R., Savard P., Buschmann M.D. (1997) Spatially Resolved Detection of Streaming Potentials in Articular Cartilage. Transactions of the 43th Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, San Francisco, CA, USA, 22:80.