Ceterix Orthopaedics Receives New Patent for Transosteal Anchoring Methods for Meniscal Root Repair

FREMONT, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Ceterix Orthopaedics today announced the issuance of US Patent No. 9,913,638 relating to the company’s proprietary approach to knee meniscus and ACL repair, adding to an already expansive portfolio of innovative orthopaedic applications and issued patents.

Ceterix’s new patent further protects the company’s unique products and methods that allow surgeons to arthroscopically pass suture through soft tissue in very tight joint compartments. Specifically, the new patent describes the company’s method for securely fastening the knee’s meniscus during a meniscal root repair.

“We’re pleased that our approach, using the NovoStitch® Plus Meniscal Repair System, simplifies the procedure for surgeons and expands the tissue repair methods available to patients in need of meniscus repair,” stated John McCutcheon, president and CEO of Ceterix.

The meniscus is a crescent of soft cartilage that sits between the femur and tibia, cushioning the knee. The meniscus attaches to the tibia at its root but is subject to tearing at this attachment point. Historically, damage to the meniscal root was addressed with meniscectomy (complete or partial removal of the damaged tissue). However, meniscectomy has been shown to be associated with an increased risk of future complications. In a recent study, more than one-third of patients with a meniscal root tear who underwent meniscectomy required a total knee replacement within five years. In contrast, the same study revealed that patients who underwent meniscus root repair had no occurrences of knee replacement at the five-year mark¹.

Current methods of meniscal root repair involve the surgical creation of a tunnel through the tibia bone to reach the meniscus, affixing a suture to the soft tissue, and extending this suture through the bone tunnel to an anchor resting just beneath the skin in the lower leg.

The potential issue with the standard procedure is that it results in too much space between the meniscal root and the anchor itself. This greater distance may cause the suture to lose tension or displace over time, thus negatively affecting the success of the repair.

Ceterix, well-known for innovations in arthroscopic surgery, has obtained patent protection for an alternate approach for surgeons to use when repairing a torn meniscal root. Using the NovoStitch Plus Meniscal Repair System, surgeons can affix sutures to the meniscus and secure those sutures with an anchor placed inside the bone tunnel, closer to the site of the root repair, thereby retaining the necessary tension for long-term repair viability. Arthroscopic surgery is a minimally-invasive procedure in which an orthopaedic surgeon treats the damaged joint through small incisions using specialized tools guided by a tiny camera called an arthroscope. Meniscus surgery is the most common arthroscopic procedure in the United States, with roughly one million performed annually.

About Ceterix® Orthopaedics

Founded in 2010 with the vision of improving outcomes of arthroscopic procedures, Ceterix® Orthopaedics develops surgical tools that expand and improve what is possible for physicians who treat soft tissue joint injuries such as meniscus tears. Ceterix’s novel meniscal repair system enables surgeons to place suture patterns that were previously only possible in open procedures, or not at all. The NovoStitch Plus meniscal repair system has received 510k clearance in the United States and is indicated for approximation of soft tissue in meniscal repair procedures. The company is based in Fremont, Calif. and is backed by investors Versant Ventures, 5AM Ventures and CRG. For more information, please visit www.ceterix.com.

¹ Chung et al. Arthroscopy. 2015; 31(10):1941-50.