Two New York state orthopedic clinics, Capital Regional Orthopaedic Associates and the Bone and Joint Center, announced that they have performed their inaugural meniscus replacement procedures. The first surgeries were performed by Drs. Richard Alfred and Maxwell Alley of Capital Regional Orthopaedic Associates.
Meniscus Replacement Study Underway
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The procedures were part of an investigational trial for Active Implants LLC’s NUsurface Meniscus Implant—dubbed the VENUS study. The trial is being conducted at 10 sites nationwide. Enrolled patients have injured or deteriorated meniscus cartilage. The trial is designed to assess the safety and effectiveness of this particular implant versus to non-surgical standard of care.
The first patient to receive the NUsurface implant was East Greenbush resident Tracy Cullum. Eight years ago, the 42-year-old mother of two suffered a meniscus tear in her left knee. Although she underwent a partial meniscectomy to treat the tear, her knee pain became progressively worse and resulted in a constant limp while she walked.
“There are limited options for patients who experience persistent knee pain following meniscus surgery, ” said Dr. Alfred. “It is our hope that the NUsurface implant alleviates pain in these patients, allowing them to return to their previous levels of activity, ultimately delaying or avoiding the need for a more invasive knee surgery.”
It has been nearly three months since Cullum received the implant through a small incision in her knee. She completed a six-week rehabilitation program, and she has now returned to daily leisure activities like hot yoga and her work as a volunteer firefighter.
“In the six months before receiving the NUsurface Meniscus Implant, my knee pain had peaked to where I had a constant dull ache and a limp while walking, ” Cullum said. “Now my range of motion is improving, and I am ecstatic to be able to resume one of my favorite activities—volunteering together with my husband and children at our local fire department.”
The NUsurface Meniscus Implant has been used in Europe under CE Mark since 2008 and Israel since 2011.
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This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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