Ceterix Orthopaedics Announces Publication Of Studies Demonstrating Advantages Of Meniscus Repair With Minimally Invasive Orthopaedic Suturing Device

Technology Offers Potential to Improve Repairs, Extend Repair to Additional Tear Types

MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ceterix^® Orthopaedics, Inc., a developer of novel surgical tools for minimally invasive soft tissue procedures, today announced publication of positive findings from two biomechanical studies of the company’s proprietary NovoStitch^® suture passer for meniscus repair in Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery.

“Understanding the best sewing techniques is imperative to optimizing treatments for patients with these extremely common injuries”

The two studies, both conducted at the Center for Advanced Orthopaedic Studies in Boston, describe biomechanical research demonstrating that suture patterns arthroscopically delivered with the NovoStitch device meet or exceed the strength of those delivered via the gold standard open-surgical approach for two common types of meniscus tears.^{1, 2}

“Understanding the best sewing techniques is imperative to optimizing treatments for patients with these extremely common injuries,” said Justin Saliman, M.D., orthopaedic surgeon and chief medical officer of Ceterix Orthopaedics. “These studies show that the circumferential compression stitch, delivered by the NovoStitch device, has the potential to both improve existing repairs and to enable repair of tear types that were previously considered difficult or impossible to sew.”

The first study, “Analysis of a New All-Inside Versus Inside-Out Technique for Repairing Radial Meniscal Tears,” compared gap formation, strength, and stiffness of repaired radial tears of the meniscus treated using the NovoStitch suture passer versus a traditional inside-out suture technique. The study concluded that NovoStitch sutures resulted in lower displacement, higher load to failure, and greater stiffness compared with the horizontal inside-out technique.

The second study, “Biomechanical Evaluation of an All-Inside Suture-Based Device for Repairing Longitudinal Meniscal Tears,” evaluated three meniscus repair techniques, including the NovoStitch suture passer. Results for the NovoStitch suture passer were equal to or better than the gold standard technique. The study concluded that when addressing a longitudinal meniscal tear, surgeons should consider biomechanical data of various repair devices and techniques in their decision-making process to maximize the mechanical strength and healing probability of the repair.

“The NovoStitch device showed excellent performance relative to the gold standard inside-out technique,” said Ara Nazarian, a Principal Investigator at the Center for Advanced Orthopaedic Studies and assistant professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School. “Both radial and vertical tears present unique challenges. This study shows that the NovoStitch device offers an innovative approach with distinct advantages.”

The NovoStitch suture passer allows the placement of a circumferential compression stitch in the knee meniscus, which is tightly surrounded by critical structures such as nerves, arteries and cartilage. This enables orthopaedic surgeons to treat complex injuries that have not been amenable to repair in the past. NovoStitch technology can also be utilized in minimally invasive hip and shoulder procedures.

Arthroscopic surgery is a minimally invasive surgical procedure performed by an orthopaedic physician in which a damaged joint is treated through small incisions with specialized tools under the guidance of a tiny camera called an arthroscope.

Meniscus surgery is the single most common arthroscopic procedure in the United States, with roughly one million performed annually. Ceterix’s technology, which is currently in use by more than 300 U.S. physicians, enables orthopaedic surgeons to more-easily address complex knee injuries that are difficult to repair.

About Ceterix Orthopaedics

Ceterix^® Orthopaedics develops surgical tools that expand and improve what is possible for physicians who treat soft tissue injuries such as meniscus tears, hip and shoulder labrum tears, and rotator cuff tears. Founded in 2010 with the vision of improving outcomes of arthroscopic procedures, Ceterix’s novel suture passing device enables surgeons to place suture patterns that were previously only possible in open procedures, or not at all. The NovoStitch suture passer is indicated for passing suture through soft tissue in orthopaedic surgery (the specific indication of meniscal tears repair has not been cleared by the FDA). The company is based in Menlo Park, Calif. and is backed by investors Novo Ventures, Versant Ventures and 5AM Ventures. For more information, please visit http://www.ceterix.com/.

1. Beamer, B. et.al. Analysis of a New All-Inside Versus Inside-Out Technique for Repairing Radial Meniscal Tears. Arthroscopy. 2015 Feb: 31(2):293-8.

2. Masoudi, A. et.al. Biomechanical Evaluation of an All-Inside Suture-Based Device for Repairing Longitudinal Meniscal Tears. Arthroscopy. 2015 Mar: 31(3):428-434.

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