The VENUS Clinical Study (Verifying the Effectiveness of the NUsurface® System)

NCT ID: NCT02136901

Last Updated: 2022-02-21

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

34 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2014-06-30

Study Completion Date

2020-06-30

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

The NUsurface® Meniscus Implant Randomized Study is a multi-center, prospective randomized, interventional clinical trial to test the hypothesis that the NUsurface implant is superior to the non-surgical standard of care in treating the target population.The rationale for performing this clinical study is to gather clinical data to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the NUsurface device compared to the Standard of Care.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

The NUsurface® Meniscus Implant is intended for use in patients with medial compartment pain that have had a previous partial medial meniscectomy.

Patients who meet the inclusion/exclusion criteria will be assigned by balanced randomization into one of two groups: the Meniscus Implants versus non-surgical standard of care. The KOOS (Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score) and IKDC (International Knee Documentation Committee) forms will be used to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the patients' pre-intervention and post-intervention condition including activity levels, pain, swelling, locking, stability, support, sports activity, and quality of life assessment.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Meniscectomy Osteoarthritis

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Investigational arm

The patients randomized to the Investigational Group will receive the NUsurface® Meniscus Implant.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

NUsurface® Meniscus Implant

Intervention Type DEVICE

The NUsurface Meniscus Implant is a Polycarbonate-Urethane (PCU)-based device reinforced with high tensile Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers. The product is available in different sizes, left and right, and with trials so as to allow the surgeon several size options for implantation. The NUsurface® Meniscus Implant, is designed to be conceptually analogous to the natural meniscus whose structural characteristics include a highly orientated collagen fiber network supports the large hoop stresses to produce better distribution of contact pressures within the knee joint. Restoring the distribution of joint loads post-meniscectomy is thought to reducing joint overload and to reducing pain.

Control Arm

The patients randomized to the Control Group of the study will receive Non-Surgical Care (the current standard of care for this patient population).

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

NSAID's and Non-surgical Treatment Options

Intervention Type DRUG

Non-prescription drugs, creams, vitamins, and supplements, Prescription or Non-Prescriptions NSAIDs, Non-weight bearing and/or open chain physical therapy or self-administered exercise

Intra-Articular Injections with Corticosteroids

Intervention Type DRUG

Intra-articular injection of a corticosteroid, such as 40 mg of Triamcinolone (e.g. Aristocort or Kenalog).

Intra-Articular Injections with Hyaluronic Acid (HA)

Intervention Type DRUG

Intra-articular injection of a hyaluronic acid treatment, such as SYNVISC® HA Injections.

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

NUsurface® Meniscus Implant

The NUsurface Meniscus Implant is a Polycarbonate-Urethane (PCU)-based device reinforced with high tensile Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers. The product is available in different sizes, left and right, and with trials so as to allow the surgeon several size options for implantation. The NUsurface® Meniscus Implant, is designed to be conceptually analogous to the natural meniscus whose structural characteristics include a highly orientated collagen fiber network supports the large hoop stresses to produce better distribution of contact pressures within the knee joint. Restoring the distribution of joint loads post-meniscectomy is thought to reducing joint overload and to reducing pain.

Intervention Type DEVICE

NSAID's and Non-surgical Treatment Options

Non-prescription drugs, creams, vitamins, and supplements, Prescription or Non-Prescriptions NSAIDs, Non-weight bearing and/or open chain physical therapy or self-administered exercise

Intervention Type DRUG

Intra-Articular Injections with Corticosteroids

Intra-articular injection of a corticosteroid, such as 40 mg of Triamcinolone (e.g. Aristocort or Kenalog).

Intervention Type DRUG

Intra-Articular Injections with Hyaluronic Acid (HA)

Intra-articular injection of a hyaluronic acid treatment, such as SYNVISC® HA Injections.

Intervention Type DRUG

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* Had \> 6 months ago a medial partial meniscectomy as confirmed by patient history and MRI
* Has a KOOS Pain of ≤ 75 (100 being the highest attainable and no pain)
* Is between age 30 and 75 years (inclusive) at the time of study treatment
* Has neutral alignment ± 5º of the mechanical axis, i.e., the angle formed by a line drawn from the center of the femoral head to the medial tibial spine and a line drawn from the medial tibial spine to the center of the ankle joint
* Has ≥ 2 mm intact medial meniscal rim capable of being fitted with a NUsurface® device AND is also recommended for the baseline non-surgical (and, if likely to receive benefit, any injection) therapies to be administered in the study.
* Is willing to be entered into either arm of the study: implanted with the NUsurface device OR treated with the recommended control arm therapies.
* Is able to do the study required follow up visits, questionnaires, X-rays, and MRI's
* Is able and willing to understand and sign the study Informed Consent Form
* Is able to read and understand the national language of the country in which the relevant clinical site is located

Exclusion Criteria

* Has a symptomatic knee because of a tear that could be addressed by a repeat partial meniscectomy leaving \> 4 mm of medial meniscus rim
* Has evidence of a Outerbridge Grade IV cartilage loss on the medial tibial plateau or femoral condyle that potentially could contact a NUsurface implant (e.g., a focal lesion \> 0.5 cm2 correlating to a circular defect of \> 8 mm in diameter)
* Has complete disruption of the posterior root attachment of the meniscus
* Has lateral compartment pain and Grade III or Grade IV Outerbridge cartilage score in the lateral compartment
* Has a varus or valgus knee deformity \> 5º requiring a tibial or femoral osteotomy
* Has a laxity level of more than Grade II (IKDC), primary or secondary to an injury of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and/or posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) and/or lateral collateral ligament (LCL) and/or medial collateral ligament (MCL)
* Has significant trochlear dysplasia, patellar instability or symptomatic patellar misalignment
* Has patellar compartment pain and Grade III or Grade IV Outerbridge cartilage score in the patellar compartment.
* Compared to a normal knee, has obvious radiological evidence of medial femoral squaring, anatomical variance in the medial tibial plateau, or irregularly shaped cartilage surface
* Had an ACL reconstruction performed \< 9 months prior to study treatment
* Has a BMI \> 32.5 at the start of study treatment
* Decides to receive (if eligible and an option) allograft medial meniscus transplantation
* Received any type of prosthetic knee implant made of artificial non-resorbable plastic, metal or ceramic, not including the NUsurface® Meniscus Implant
* Has a knee flexion contracture \> 10º
* Has flexion \< 90º
* Had a previous medial femoral condyle surgery (not including microfracture) or High Tibial Osteotomy (HTO)
* Has insufficiency fractures or avascular necrosis of the medial compartment
* Has an active infection or tumor (local or systemic)
* Has any type of knee joint inflammatory disease including Sjogren's syndrome
* Has neuropathic knee osteoarthropathy, also known as Charcot joint
* Has any medical condition that does not allow possible arthroscopy of the knee
* Has neurological deficit (sensory, motor, or reflex)
* Is currently involved in another investigation of the lower extremity
* Anticipates having another lower extremity surgery during the study period
* Is contraindicated for hyaluronic acid injections (i.e., patients with known hypersensitivity \[allergy\] to hyaluronan \[sodium hyaluoronate\] preparations); patients having knee joint infections or skin diseases or infections in the site of possible injections
* Is contraindicated for corticosteroid injections (i.e., patients with allergy to any of the components or with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura)
* Has received any corticosteroid knee injections ≤ 3 months prior to study treatment
* Has chondrocalcinosis
* Is on immunostimulating or immunosuppressing agents
* Has ipsilateral or contralateral lower limb joint conditions that may affect ambulation or KOOS (e.g. have a leg length discrepancy \> 2.5 cm \[1 inch\], causing a noticeable limp)
* Is a female who is lactating, expecting, or is intending to become pregnant during the study period
* Is an active smoker
* Is mentally incapacitated (incapable of appraising or controlling conduct) or have mental disability (e.g., dementia or Alzheimer's)
* Is a prisoner
* Is a patient who has economic incentive not to improve
Minimum Eligible Age

30 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

75 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Active Implants

INDUSTRY

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

AZ Monica

Antwerp, , Belgium

Site Status

Centre Hospitalier de Versailles

Le Chesnay, , France

Site Status

University Hospital of Munich

Munich, , Germany

Site Status

Ichilov Hospital

Tel Aviv, , Israel

Site Status

Assaf Harofeh Medical Center

Ẕerifin, , Israel

Site Status

Ospedale Sacro Cuore - Don Calabria

Negrar, Verona, Italy

Site Status

Academisch Ziekenhuis Maastricht

Maastricht, , Netherlands

Site Status

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

Belgium France Germany Israel Italy Netherlands

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Shemesh M, Asher R, Zylberberg E, Guilak F, Linder-Ganz E, Elsner JJ. Viscoelastic properties of a synthetic meniscus implant. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater. 2014 Jan;29:42-55. doi: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2013.08.021. Epub 2013 Sep 3.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24055793 (View on PubMed)

Zur G, Linder-Ganz E, Elsner JJ, Shani J, Brenner O, Agar G, Hershman EB, Arnoczky SP, Guilak F, Shterling A. Chondroprotective effects of a polycarbonate-urethane meniscal implant: histopathological results in a sheep model. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2011 Feb;19(2):255-63. doi: 10.1007/s00167-010-1210-5. Epub 2010 Jul 16.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20635076 (View on PubMed)

Elsner JJ, Portnoy S, Guilak F, Shterling A, Linder-Ganz E. MRI-based characterization of bone anatomy in the human knee for size matching of a medial meniscal implant. J Biomech Eng. 2010 Oct;132(10):101008. doi: 10.1115/1.4002490.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20887018 (View on PubMed)

Elsner JJ, Portnoy S, Zur G, Guilak F, Shterling A, Linder-Ganz E. Design of a free-floating polycarbonate-urethane meniscal implant using finite element modeling and experimental validation. J Biomech Eng. 2010 Sep;132(9):095001. doi: 10.1115/1.4001892.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20815651 (View on PubMed)

Linder-Ganz E, Elsner JJ, Danino A, Guilak F, Shterling A. A novel quantitative approach for evaluating contact mechanics of meniscal replacements. J Biomech Eng. 2010 Feb;132(2):024501. doi: 10.1115/1.4000407.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20370247 (View on PubMed)

Elsner JJ, Shemesh M, Shefy-Peleg A, Gabet Y, Zylberberg E, Linder-Ganz E. Quantification of in vitro wear of a synthetic meniscus implant using gravimetric and micro-CT measurements. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater. 2015 Sep;49:310-20. doi: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2015.05.017. Epub 2015 May 28.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26057364 (View on PubMed)

De Coninck T, Elsner JJ, Linder-Ganz E, Cromheecke M, Shemesh M, Huysse W, Verdonk R, Verstraete K, Verdonk P. In-vivo evaluation of the kinematic behavior of an artificial medial meniscus implant: A pilot study using open-MRI. Clin Biomech (Bristol). 2014 Sep;29(8):898-905. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2014.07.001. Epub 2014 Jul 17.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 25238685 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

00356

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.

Corticosteroid Meniscectomy Randomized Trial
NCT04641351 ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION PHASE4