Professor Carole Longson MBE, director of the NICE centre for health technology evaluation, said: “Knee cartilage damage can have a significant impact on a person’s life, employment and social activities. It’s estimated that every year in the UK, around 10,000 people need treatment for cartilage damage. Between 200 and 500 of these have cartilage defects suitable for autologous chondrocyte implantation.
“The independent Appraisal Committee considered the evidence available on ACI, which included evidence on the nature of knee cartilage damage, the views of people with the condition, those who represent them, and clinical experts. ACI is a promising technology, but there is insufficient long-term evidence to support a conclusion on the long-term effectiveness of its use. This lack of evidence meant that the Committee could not recommend ACI for routine use of NHS resources, but it wanted to encourage further research to generate more evidence on the effectiveness of the procedures considered."
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