Artificial meniscus shows promise for Post-Surgery knee pain
NCT ID NCT02483988
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Sep 01, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study tested a plastic meniscus implant in 115 adults aged 30-75 who still had knee pain after having part of their meniscus removed. The goal was to see if the implant is safe and helps reduce pain and improve knee function. Participants were followed for up to 5 years after the implant surgery.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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115 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Dec 2015
- Finished
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May 2024
- Lead sponsor
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A company
The lead sponsor is a pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical-device company.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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30 to 75 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Had \> 6 months ago a medial partial meniscectomy as confirmed by patient history and MRI 2. Has a KOOS Pain of ≤ 75 (100 being the highest attainable and no pain) 3. Is between age 30 and 75 years (inclusive) at the time of study treatment 4. Has neutral alignment ±5º of the mechanical axis, as measured from 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 and the center of the ankle joint 5. Has ≥ 2 mm intact medial meniscal rim capable of being fitted with a NUsurface® device 6. Is able to do the study required follow-up visits, questionnaires, X-rays and MRI's 7. Is able to read and understand the English language if treated at a U.S. site or read and understand one of the official country languages if treated at a site Outside the U.S. 8. Is able and willing to understand and sign the Informed Consent Form Exclusion Criteria: 1. Has a symptomatic knee because of a tear that could be addressed by a repeat partial meniscectomy leaving \> 4 mm of medial meniscus rim 2. 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) 3. Has complete disruption of the posterior root attachment of the meniscus 4. Has lateral compartment pain and Grade III or Grade IV Outerbridge cartilage score in the lateral compartment 5. Has a varus or valgus knee deformity \> 5º requiring a tibial or femoral osteotomy 6. 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) 7. Has significant trochlear dysplasia, patellar instability or symptomatic patellar misalignment 8. Has patellar compartment pain and Grade III or Grade IV Outerbridge cartilage score in the patellar compartment. 9. 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 10. Had an ACL reconstruction performed \< 9 months prior to study treatment 11. Has a BMI \> 32.5 at the start of study treatment 12. Decides to receive (if eligible and an option) allograft medial meniscus transplantation 13. Received any type of prosthetic knee implant made of artificial non-resorbable plastic, metal or ceramic, not including the NUsurface® Meniscus Implant 14. Has a knee flexion contracture \> 10º 15. Has flexion \< 90º 16. Had a previous medial femoral condyle surgery (not including microfracture) or High Tibial Osteotomy (HTO) 17. Has insufficiency fractures or avascular necrosis of the medial compartment 18. Has an active infection or tumor (local or systemic) 19. Has any type of knee joint inflammatory disease including Sjogren's syndrome 20. Has neuropathic knee osteoarthropathy, also known as Charcot joint 21. Has any medical condition that does not allow possible arthroscopy of the knee 22. Has neurological deficit (sensory, motor, or reflex) 23. Is currently involved in another investigation of the lower extremity 24. Anticipates having another lower extremity surgery during the study period 25. 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 26. Is contraindicated for corticosteroid injections (i.e., patients with allergy to any of the components or with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura) 27. Has received any corticosteroid knee injections ≤ 3 months prior to study treatment 28. Has chondrocalcinosis 29. Is on immunostimulating or immunosuppressing agents 30. 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) 31. Is a female who is lactating, expecting, or is intending to become pregnant during the study period 32. Is an active smoker 33. Is mentally incapacitated (incapable of appraising or controlling conduct) or have mental disability (e.g., dementia or Alzheimer's) 34. Is a prisoner 35. Is a patient who has economic incentive not to improve 36. Certain patient populations that are at high risk for poor healing or outcomes such as patients who have a co-morbidity that reduces life expectancy to less than 36 months 37. Patients who are contraindicated for MRI (i.e., pacemaker, defibrillator, cochlear implants, etc.)
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Advanced Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine Specialists
Denver, Colorado, 80230, United States
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Arlington Orthopedic Associates, PA
Arlington, Texas, 76015, United States
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Banner University Medical Center Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona, 85006, United States
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Baton Rouge Orthopaedic Clinic
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70810, United States
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CU Sports Medicine
Boulder, Colorado, 80309, 80222, 80045, United States
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Comprehensive Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine
Salt Lake City, Utah, 84102, United States
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Horizon Clinical Research
La Mesa, California, 91942, United States
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Long Beach Memorial Medical Center
Long Beach, California, 90806, United States
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Ochsner Sports Medicine Institute
New Orleans, Louisiana, 70121, United States
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OrthoIndy
Greenwood, Indiana, 46143, United States
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OrthoVirginia
Richmond, Virginia, 23294, United States
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Sports Medicine Oregon
Portland, Oregon, 97224, United States
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St Mary's Medical Center
San Francisco, California, 94117, United States
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