PROBLEM - SOLUTION
Current tendon & ligament reconstruction techniques have their limitations
Autografts
Surgeries are more complex and time-consuming. There is a loss of strength & function at the harvest site & the patient's harvested tendon may not be of adequate size or quality for the reconstruction.
Allografts
Allografts carry the potential risk of patient rejection and transmission of viral infections due to the limited regulation of these products. The grafts vary in age, quality and dimensions. There is also limited availability in some countries as well as cultural and religious barriers to access.
Synthetics
Synthetic products have been tried and fallen out of favour and biological integration is not possible.
The GINAN SOLUTION was born from a desire to enhance surgical options and support improved patient care
Nick Hartnell is an Australian orthopaedic surgeon who has both innovated and invested in innovation across the medical sector.
An avid sports fan and motivated to achieve improved patient outcomes, Nick was aware of the issues affecting a wide range of products available for ACL reconstruction.
An increase in younger patients presenting for surgery, a rise in sports-related injuries among women, challenges with the quality and availability of allograft tissue, and prior experience leading R&D of regenerative bone graft technology prompted Nick to explore alternative solutions for ACL reconstruction.
Orthopedic surgeons are looking for a readily available, off-the-shelf solution that eliminates the need for tendon harvesting, supports strong healing potential, and ensures consistent, on-demand supply.
The opportunity to develop a bioengineered device using animal-derived material with lower viral risk and fewer cultural or religious barriers compared to other sources is now steadily becoming a reality.
GINAN has developed a process to decellularize kangaroo tendons for potential use in human tendon and ligament repair and reconstruction procedures
Each year, kangaroos are humanely culled under strict Australian Government regulation for commercial harvesting operations and to support environmental sustainability. Sourced from licensed wild game meat suppliers serving the human food and export markets, GINAN is repurposing this high-quality, animal-derived material to support innovation in soft tissue repair.
Strong and long: untreated kangaroo tendons are up to 6X stronger than the human Anterior Cruciate Ligament – one of the most stressed soft tissues in the human body.
Over the past eight years, extensive research and product development have led to the creation of a manufacturing process for decellularized kangaroo tendons.
Funded by founders, AU$4.5 million has been raised since May 2023 and put to good use with a prototype device that is now going through pre-clinical studies.
With over 2.5 million soft-tissue orthopedic surgeries performed annually, there is an increasing need for bioengineered solutions like ours, with the potential for use in over 15 locations on the human body.
Our proprietary manufacturing process preserves the tendon’s natural collagen structure, enabling cell repopulation and tissue integration. By eliminating the need for autograft harvesting—which can be painful and inconsistent—our graft offers a scalable, off-the-shelf alternative designed to support high-performance soft tissue repair across multiple orthopedic indications.