Ceterix Orthopaedics Awarded New Patent for Circumferential Suturing Method in Meniscus Repair

FREMONT, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Ceterix^® Orthopaedics, Inc., a leader in the development of cutting-edge surgical tools for orthopaedic surgeons, today announced the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 10,004,492 related to the company’s method of placing a suture around a tear to repair a damaged meniscus, adding to the company’s already expansive intellectual property portfolio.

Ceterix’s new patent further protects the company’s technology enabling surgeons to arthroscopically repair soft tissue injuries in the knee using minimally invasive techniques. This is the second set of method claims describing Ceterix’s proprietary Circumferential Compression Stitch (CCS), a suture method that provides uniform, anatomic compression of meniscus tears that was not possible to do previously given the tight constraints of the knee.

“Whether you are setting a broken bone or suturing a laceration, injuries heal best when the tissue edges are perfectly lined up and repaired without gaps,” says Dr. Justin Saliman, founder and chief medical officer of Ceterix. “For the first time, orthopaedic surgeons can now apply this principle to meniscus tears with NovoStitch^® Meniscal Repair Systems. We believe that by enabling simultaneous compression of the femoral and tibial sides of meniscus tears, the Ceterix technology can provide surgeons with greater confidence to repair tears that would have previously been considered non-repairable.”^[i],[ii]

“The invention of delivering a Circumferential Compression Stitch within the tight constraints of the knee may be the biggest innovation in meniscal repair in the last 15 years,” says John McCutcheon, president and CEO of Ceterix. “We are committed to expanding options for surgeons to preserve the meniscus and protect normal knee function in their patients.”

The meniscus is a crescent of soft cartilage resting between the femur and tibia that cushions the knee and is surrounded by critical nerves, arteries and cartilage. Ceterix’s NovoStitch Meniscal Repair Systems enable surgeons to work within this tight compartment to place a stabilizing circumferential compression stitch around a meniscus tear. The circumferential compression stitch is the only meniscus repair technique that treats the femoral and tibial sides of a tear simultaneously, enabling the repair of injuries that may previously have required partial or complete removal of this important structure.

Arthroscopic surgery is a minimally invasive procedure in which an orthopaedic surgeon treats the damaged joint through small incisions using specialized tools and 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.^[iii],[iv]

About Ceterix Orthopaedics

Ceterix Orthopaedics develops surgical tools that fill unmet clinical needs for physicians who treat soft tissue joint injuries such as meniscus tears. Founded in 2010 with the vision of improving outcomes of arthroscopic procedures, 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^® Pro 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 and follow us at @ceterix on Twitter

[i] Brooks KR. Arthroscopy Techniques. 2017 Oct; 6(5):e1767-e1773.
[ii] Woodmass et al. Arthroscopy Techniques. 2017 Aug; 6(4):e1329-e1333
[iii] Brinker MR. O’Connor DP, Pierce P, Woods GW, Elliott MN. Utilization of orthopaedic services in a capitated population. JBJS. 2002 Nov; 84-A (11): 1926-1932
[iv] New Hampshire Outpatient Surgery: Knee arthroscopy data. Vol. 2008. New Hampshire Comprehensive Health Care System; 2006