Medtech startup focuses on a real pain point featuring Sparta Biomedical
The human knee is a marvel. It’s the hinge at the center of our gait, the evolutionary adaptation that makes humans the only fully bipedal mammals on the planet. But the knee also is a complicated and vulnerable knot of bone, muscle, and sinew. Nearly everyone knows someone with chronic knee pain, says Dushyanth Surakanti (MBA 2007), cofounder and CEO of medtech startup Sparta Biomedical. Approximately one in four adults suffer from the condition, according to recent studies.
A fairly common solution available today, knee replacement (known as arthroplasty), is far from perfect. One in three patients experience chronic pain post-surgery and one-third of patients who could benefit from the surgery are ineligible due to other health factors such as obesity and chronic illness. “It’s a problem that isn’t going away,” notes Surakanti. “No matter how much innovation has been pursued, there is still a big, unmet need.” In that, he saw a significant—and growing—business opportunity.
