SURE Study

Join The SURE Clinical Study

The SURE study is a registered Clinical Trial to determine whether Genicular Artery Embolization (GAE) is superior to standard of care steroid injection in reducing knee pain caused by osteoarthritis.

GAE Procedure and the SURE Trial

Hear Dr. Ari Isaacson, the SURE trial Principal Investigator, explain the GAE procedure and what participation in the trial will be like for patients.

Are You Suffering From Knee Osteoarthritis (OA)?

Knee osteoarthritis causes pain and swelling as the cartilage and other tissues in the joint breaks down. Early treatments like physical therapy and pain relievers can help, but managing pain becomes harder as the condition progresses.

Patients living with knee OA often struggle performing daily activities such as:

Walking

Caring for Family

Exercise

Using Stairs

Sleeping

About the SURE Trial

The SURE Clinical Trial is evaluating if patients with knee osteoarthritis who are treated with a SakuraBead GAE experience better pain relief than those treated with a standard of care steroid injection.

Of the 89 participants, 60 will be treated with the GAE procedure and 29 will be treated with a steroid injection. Participants are randomly assigned to either group, with a 2:1 chance of receiving GAE over the steroid injection.

Those who are initially treated with steroid injection will have the opportunity to “cross over” and receive further treatment after cross over with a GAE procedure, should they so wish.

The study received an investigational device exemption (IDE) from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Trial is registered with clinicaltrials.gov

Results from our First Trial

The first study using SakuraBead in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis involved 15 patients and was completed in early 2024.

Learn More

Who Can Participate

Participating in this trial is entirely voluntary. You may be eligible to participate if you:

  • Are aged 40-79
  • Have been diagnosed with mild to moderate knee OA
  • Have tried other treatments with little to no improvement or improvement for a limited time
  • Have not had knee replacement surgery

What Are The Next Steps

If you would like to participate in this trial, one of the physicians who are participating in the study will screen you to see if you meet all the necessary participation criteria. The study will be thoroughly explained, and you will have the chance to ask any questions you may have.

If you are suitable for our trial and choose to participate, you will sign an informed consent form. You will then be assigned to your allocated initial treatment.

Screening may include checking:
Medical history
X-ray
Physical exam
MRI
Questionnaire
Pregnancy test (if applicable)
Follow up visits
Medical history
X-ray
Physical exam
MRI

Update – March 18, 2026: The SURE Trial has completed enrolment. Thank you for your interest! Please stay tuned for future research opportunities.

Frequently Asked Questions