Active Implants announced the first implantation in the US of the NUsurface Meniscus Implant, designed to treat patients with persistent knee pain due to an injured or deteriorated meniscus.
The procedure was performed by Christopher Kaeding, M.D., Professor and Executive Director, of OSU Sports Medicine at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, OH.
"There aren’t many options for these patients, unfortunately. Once the meniscus is damaged, pain sets in and can lead to arthritis and the need for knee replacement surgery," said Dr. Kaeding.
The procedure was performed as part of a pivotal trial to demonstrate the superiority of the NUsurface Meniscus Implant compared to the current standard-of-care for patients with persistent knee pain following meniscectomy surgery.
Seven clinical sites in the US are currently enrolling patients in the study, which is called the VENUS-trial (Verification of the Effectiveness of the NUsurface® System).
"I look forward to the opportunity to offer this exciting new technology to my patients when it is available in the U.S.," stated Elliott Hershman, M.D., Chief Medical Advisor to Active Implants.
The NUsurface Meniscus Implant is an artificial device designed to relieve knee pain and restore function similar to that of the natural healthy meniscus.
The device is implanted by orthopaedic surgeons using an arthroscopic approach and a mini-open procedure. The product is approved in Europe under CE regulations and in Israel.
The Company believes the NUsurface device could treat hundreds of thousands of patients per year whose previous partial meniscectomy surgery was not successful and yet are not ready or old enough for knee arthroplasty. Active Implants estimates the potential annual worldwide market for the NUsurface product is over $2bn.