International Cartilage Repair Society

What International Cartilage Repair Society does

The International Cartilage Repair Society (legal name: International Cartilage Regeneration & Joint Preservation Society, ICRS) is a Switzerland-based non-profit medical association founded in 1997 and headquartered in Wetzikon through its administrative arm, Cartilage Executive Office (CEO) GmbH. The society serves as the principal international forum for collaboration in articular biology, cartilage injury repair, and joint preservation research, uniting basic scientists, clinical researchers, physicians, orthopaedic surgeons, residents, and industry members across 60+ countries. Its core portfolio consists of educational and research products rather than a proprietary technology platform: the ICRS Patient Registry (a multinational clinical outcomes database offered in 13 languages), the peer-reviewed open-access Journal of Cartilage & Joint Preservation (JCJP, launched in 2021 with publishing partner Elsevier), the EDUC@RT digital archive of congress content, the ICRS Centers of Excellence for hands-on surgical training, the ICRS Score/Grade clinical injury evaluation system, and a recurring calendar of World Congresses, Focus Meetings, Summits, webinars, and fellowships/scholarships for early-career researchers.

ICRS generates revenue through four primary streams: tiered annual membership fees (Junior, Ordinary, Fellow, Corporate, Honorary Fellow, and Retired categories, billed annually), event registration fees for congresses and educational meetings (with early-bird pricing), corporate sponsorships organized into Diamond and Ruby tiers (anchor partners include JRF Ortho, Vericel, Finceramica, Geistlich, and Smith + Nephew), and open-access article publishing charges on JCJP. Go-to-market is event-driven, with digital channels (website, member portal, social media, email, webinars) and strategic co-development partnerships — notably with Elsevier for publishing, FIFA and Aspetar for consensus work, and Humanitas University for a Regenerative Medicine MSc program — extending reach into adjacent medical and academic communities. The society is member-supported and governed by elected boards; it has no parent company, no external investment, and no disclosed revenue figures.

Name

International Cartilage Repair Society

Legal name

International Cartilage Regeneration & Joint Preservation Society

Website

https://cartilage.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) is a Switzerland-based non-profit medical association founded in 1997, serving as the global forum for cartilage regeneration and joint preservation research, uniting over 1,000 scientists, clinicians, surgeons, and industry members across 60+ countries through congresses, peer-reviewed publishing, fellowships, and clinical data registries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: The society generates revenue through tiered annual membership fees from Junior, Ordinary, Fellow, Corporate, Honorary Fellow, and Retired member categories. Corporate members pay fees and may nominate up to five representatives.
2. Event Registration Fees: Revenue is generated from registration fees for ICRS World Congresses, Focus Meetings, Summits, and other educational events. Early bird registration discounts are offered.
3. Corporate Sponsorships & Partnerships: The society receives support from Diamond, Ruby, and other corporate partners at various sponsorship tiers, contributing financial support in exchange for branding visibility and access to the society's network.
4. Journal Publishing (JCJP): The Journal of Cartilage & Joint Preservation (JCJP), launched in 2021 in partnership with Elsevier, generates revenue through open-access article publishing charges levied on authors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ICRS is a non-profit international medical society that delivers membership programs, recurring educational events (World Congresses, Focus Meetings, Summits, webinars), the international ICRS Patient Registry, the peer-reviewed JCJP journal, the EDUC@RT digital archive, ICRS Centers of Excellence, and grants/fellowships/scholarships to advance cartilage regeneration and joint preservation science worldwide. Its core deliverable is the curation and dissemination of scientific knowledge and clinical best practices to orthopaedic researchers, clinicians, and industry members across 60+ countries.

Product overview

The International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) operates as a medical professional society rather than a technology product company. Its portfolio consists of educational programs and research tools: the ICRS Patient Registry (an international outcomes database), the Journal of Cartilage & Joint Preservation (JCJP), the EDUC@RT digital education archive, ICRS Centers of Excellence teaching centers, the ICRS Score/Grade clinical evaluation system, and various educational events including World Congresses, Focus Meetings, and Summits. The society also offers traveling fellowships and scholarships for early-career researchers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• JCJP (Journal of Cartilage & Joint Preservation): Peer-reviewed open access journal published in partnership with Elsevier, launched in 2021.
• EDUC@RT
• ICRS Patient Registry
• ICRS Centers of Excellence
• Cartilage & Joint Preservation Foundation

Products and services

• ICRS Patient Registry The first international database for clinical outcomes of cartilage repair and joint preservation treatments, available in thirteen languages; intended for clinicians, researchers, and patient data contributors.
• Journal of Cartilage & Joint Preservation (JCJP) Peer-reviewed open-access journal launched in 2021 in partnership with Elsevier, publishing state-of-the-art original articles, case series, review articles, and video technique articles on cartilage and joint preservation; targeted at researchers and clinicians.
• EDUC@RT Digital Archive ICRS digital archive providing access to congress presentations from ICRS Summit and World Congress events, including the 7th ICRS Summit Catania 2024 and the 18th ICRS World Congress Boston 2025.
• ICRS Centers of Excellence Designated centers offering personalized learning experiences and practical advice from world-leading experts on the latest surgical techniques for cartilage repair, patient assessment, and non-surgical treatment.
• ICRS Score/Grade Clinical Cartilage Injury Evaluation System ICRS Clinical Cartilage Injury Evaluation System developed during the ICRS 2000 Standards Workshop for assessing cartilage injuries, used by clinicians and researchers as a standardized grading tool.
• ICRS Events (World Congress, Focus Meetings, Summits) Recurring educational events including World Congresses (17+ organized, e.g., 18th Boston 2025, 19th Rotterdam 2027), Focus Meetings (e.g., Chicago 2026, Istanbul 2027), and Summits (e.g., 8th Porto 2026), focused on cartilage regeneration and joint preservation.
• ICRS Grants, Fellowships & Scholarships Traveling Fellowships and Scholarships for young orthopaedic surgeons, residents, fellows, and early-career scientists interested in cartilage regeneration.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1000+ active members across 60+ countries
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• ElseviercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICRS launched the Journal of Cartilage & Joint Preservation (JCJP) in partnership with Elsevier in 2021. Elsevier provides the publishing platform and infrastructure for the peer-reviewed open-access journal, which publishes original articles, case series, review articles, and video technique articles in cartilage and joint preservation.
• JRF OrthoflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerJRF Ortho is listed as a Diamond Partner of ICRS, providing the highest tier of corporate sponsorship support to the society.
• VericelflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerVericel is listed as a Diamond Partner of ICRS, providing the highest tier of corporate sponsorship support to the society.
• FinceramicacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFinceramica is listed as a Ruby Partner of ICRS, providing a significant level of corporate sponsorship support.
• GeistlichcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGeistlich is listed as a Ruby Partner of ICRS, providing a significant level of corporate sponsorship support.
• Smith + NephewcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSmith + Nephew is listed as a Ruby Partner of ICRS, providing a significant level of corporate sponsorship support.
• FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICRS collaborated with FIFA and Aspetar to publish a consensus on the management of knee cartilage injuries in football players, released in multiple parts.
• AspetarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAspetar collaborated with ICRS and FIFA on the consensus publication addressing the management of knee cartilage injuries in football players.
• Humanitas UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerICRS co-offers the Regenerative Medicine Master of Science (MSc) program together with Humanitas University, Milan, combining theoretical, clinical, and practical skills in regenerative medicine for musculoskeletal pathologies.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• European Society for Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy (ESSKA): European society focused on sports traumatology, knee surgery, and arthroscopy — a directly comparable specialty society that runs its own congress, journals, and fellowships intersecting with cartilage repair and joint preservation.
• International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine (ISAKOS): International society covering arthroscopy, knee surgery, and orthopaedic sports medicine, with a biennial congress and journals overlapping with ICRS's cartilage repair and joint preservation focus.
• Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI): International society dedicated to osteoarthritis research, education, and treatment — adjacent to ICRS in joint preservation, with overlapping members, journals (Osteoarthritis and Cartilage), and World Congress programming.

Others

• International Cartilage Regeneration & Joint Preservation Foundation: ICRS's own affiliated foundation supporting surgeons treating early osteoarthritis, listed here as an adjacent ecosystem entity rather than an independent competitor.

Emerging players

• Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS): Global society for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine with overlapping scientific community in cartilage regeneration, offering a relevant conference and journal ecosystem for ICRS members.

Broad incumbents

• Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS): A broader orthopaedic research society that publishes Journal of Orthopaedic Research and runs an annual meeting, with overlapping basic-science and translational content relevant to cartilage regeneration researchers.
• European Federation of National Associations of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (EFORT): European umbrella organization of national orthopedic societies running a large annual congress and educational programs that include cartilage and joint preservation content similar to ICRS.
• American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS): The largest U.S. orthopedic professional society, with annual meeting, journals (JAAOS), and CME programs that overlap with ICRS in cartilage and joint preservation topics, though AAOS covers the full orthopedic specialty.

Regional players

• American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM): U.S.-focused sports medicine orthopedic society that runs an annual meeting, fellowship programs, and journals (Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine) overlapping with ICRS on cartilage injury topics.
• Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA): North American society focused on arthroscopy education, with courses, meetings, and Arthroscopy journal that overlap with ICRS in cartilage repair techniques and surgical training.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CartilageRepair
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/CartilageOrg
• Facebookfacebook.com/InternationalCartilageRepairSociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-cartilage-repair-society-icrs
• Instagraminstagram.com/icrs_cartilage

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Cartilage Repair Society