Acuitive Technologies is officially commercializing Citregraft, having used the bone graft substitute in its first surgical case early last month.

Bone graft substitutes are used to repair defects from trauma, infection, tumor removal, and reconstructive surgery but poor handling, low biological activity, variable resorption rate, and inadequate integration usually limit their effectiveness.

Leveraging the benefits of citrate in bone anatomy and physiology, Acuitive Technologies developed Citregen, a citrate-based polymer technology that mimics natural bone chemistry and supplies the energy needed for regeneration. Exclusively made with Citregen and bioactive glass, Citregraft is a highly porous and bioactive synthetic bone graft substitute designed to interact with proteins to regenerate bony voids within the skeletal system.

Citregraft benefits include:

• Bioactive formulation to improve graft integration
• Easily morselized to fill and hold its position within irregular defects
• Absorbs five times its weight in fluids
• Synergizes with bone marrow aspirate (BMA) to bind proteins
• Citrate increases cell energy for tissue regeneration

“Citregraft was easily morselized to fill my tibial harvest site during BPTB ACL reconstruction. After soaking it in saline, it readily absorbed blood and growth factors from the harvest site and conformed perfectly to the defect,” said Robin Gehrmann, M.D.

Citregraft overcomes the limitations of conventional bone graft substitutes by improving handling, liquid uptake, and protein binding, according to the company. Its demonstrated bioactivity and ability to bind proteins establish Citregraft as a viable option for surgeons seeking innovative solutions for bone repair and regeneration.

Founded in 2014, Acuitive Technologies is a medical device manufacturer advancing orthopedic surgery by developing material science technologies and unique device designs that address the clinical problems facing current orthopedic devices. The foundation of its materials portfolio is Citregen, a paradigm-changing synthetic biomaterial purposefully designed on a molecular level to replicate the intrinsic cellular support network.