Clinical guidelines and Med Tech-related technology assessments from NICE in the first half of October 2017

One new Technology appraisal guidance for Autologous chondrocyte implantation for treating symptomatic articular cartilage defects of the knee has been published by the NICE in first half of October. Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) is recommended as an option for treating symptomatic articular cartilage defects of the knee, only if:

• the person has not had previous surgery to repair articular cartilage defects
• there is minimal osteoarthritic damage to the knee (as assessed by clinicians experienced in investigating knee cartilage damage using a validated measure for knee osteoarthritis)
• the defect is over 2 cm2 and
• the procedure is done at a tertiary referral centre.

MedTech Innovation Briefing is the NICE's advice program for innovative technologies. It provides an overview of clinical effectiveness, safety and cost. It does not offer a formal guidance and it therefore does not provide any recommendations.

Three new Medtech Innovation Briefings for PleuraFlow Active Clearance Technology for maintaining chest tube patency (chest drain that incorporates a tube clearance system), Mepilex Border dressings for preventing pressure ulcers (Mepilex Border dressings, specifically the 2 variants designed to prevent pressure ulcers (Mepilex Border Heel and Mepilex Border Sacrum),  Thora-3Di for assessing asthma in children (Thora‑3Di for assessing respiratory function in children with asthma) and Memokath-028, 044 and 045 stents for urethral obstruction (relieve for urethral obstructions and bladder neck or outlet obstructions.) have been published.

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