FAQs

• What is the material composition of Orthomimetics products?
• What is collagen and where does it come from?
• What are glycosaminoglycans and where do they come from?
• What is calcium phosphate and where does it come from?
• What is the risk of adverse immune responses to Orthomimetics’ products?
• Is there any risk of BSE transmission from OM’s products?

What is the material composition of Orthomimetics products?

Orthomimetics’ products contain only three constituents:

• collagen
• glycosaminoglycans
• calcium phosphate.

What is collagen and where does it come from?

Collagen is a protein that is a major building block of most tissues in our bodies, such as skin, bone and cartilage. Medical-grade collagen is most commonly isolated from the bovine Achilles tendon – a source deemed to be as safe as milk. Bovine collagen is widely used in products from skin replacements to bone graft substitutes to cosmetic augmentation implants.

What are glycosaminoglycans and where do they come from?

Glycosaminoglycans occur naturally in the body are often used as dietary supplements designed to prevent or treat arthritis. Chondroitin sulphate, hyaluronan and keratin sulphate are some of the more well-known glycosaminoglycans, most of which are isolated from sources such as shark cartilage. Glycosaminoglycans do not evoke immune responses in humans and have been used in a wide variety of surgical implants.

What is calcium phosphate and where does it come from?

Calcium phosphates are common inorganic materials. The mineral found in bone is a type of calcium phosphate, while most commercial forms are produced synthetically in a lab. Calcium phosphates do not evoke adverse immune responses. Calcium phosphates are used extensively as bone graft substitutes and as coatings for joint replacements.

What is the risk of adverse immune responses to Orthomimetics’ products?

Collagen, glycosaminoglycans and calcium phosphate have all been used extensively as constituents of a number of widely used medical products. Less than 4% of patients can be expected to experience mild immune responses to OM’s products – responses that are limited to mild, temporary inflammatory reactions that do not affect the efficacy of the product or the surgical procedure with which it is used.

Is there any risk of BSE transmission from OM’s products?

A 1998 study commissioned by the German government estimated the chances of a prion disease such as CJD (the human variant of BSE) being transmitted via bovine-derived implants to be “several orders of magnitude less than that posed by the risk of death related to lightning, tornadoes or similar remote events”.