Apos Medical and Sports Technology Ltd.announced that it has raised $8 million in venture capital. The Israeli company intends to use the proceeds for further development and marketing of its device for treating knee osteoarthritis. Pitango Venture Capital, a large VC firm also located in Israel, made the investment. The firm has previously invested in over 120 ventures, including many successful, now publicly traded, companies.

The APOS device, appears to be a shoe with two halves of pool balls stuck to the bottom. The device treats knee osteoarthritis by creating instability in the patient's normal gait. The All Phases of Step Cycle (APOS) device was designed and developed by Dr. Avi Elbaz and Dr. Amit Mor in Israel. Development of the device has been underway for over 10 years.

The device is a platform attached to a person’s shoes. The platform's balls create an unstable gait, mimicking natural walking on uneven surfaces. While seemingly odd, the instability both relieves pain and strengthens a person's muscles. Patients use the APOS device for 30 to 60 minutes each day. As the patient uses the device, the instability forces the patient’s body to a proper alignment, reducing pain. Additionally, the device retrains the patient's muscles, re-educating the body for a more appropriate motion and better joint function. APOS treatment is overseen by specially trained therapists, who use a variety of tools, including computerized gait analysis, to maximize results.

The device has been proven in trials to improve the person's posture and walk, and to reduce knee and other joint pain. The key to the system is to focus on functional rehabilitation. While current rehabilitation methods teach a patient how to stand in a clinic, the APOS system simulates real life conditions. The company’s aim was to simulate the way mammals rehabilitated in nature and evolution.

The company’s past studies conclude that the treatment can

relieve knee pain by up to two thirds within eight weeks

eliminate most lower back pain in 70% of patients

improve joint function by a significant amount, which improves quality of life

Drs. Elbaz and Mor have seen over twenty thousand patients to date with the APOS device. Half of the treatments were conducted in Israel Also, APOS jointly conducted a commercial trial of the device in England with the UK's largest private insurance company, Bupa. The trial culminated in the launch of AposTherapy as an independent entity, which is now a member of the Association of British Healthcare Industries.

APOS' CEO, Dr. Amit Mor, has said "The product has several applications. It can be used for stabilization, improve athletes' performance, and prevent knee injury." The device can also treat knee damage caused by aging, or injuries from sports or accidents.

So far, Apos markets its product in Israel, Singapore, and the UK, where it operates with Britain's largest private health insurance company BUPA Ltd. Apos intends to use the proceeds from Pitango’s investment to finance the launch of its device in other countries, especially the US, Germany, and Japan. Apos is currently seeking US FDA approval.