Active Implants, a Memphis-based company that develops orthopedic implant solutions, announced the company’s VENUS (Verification of the Effectiveness of the NUsurface System) trial is underway at OrthoMemphis.

A company spokesperson said OrthoMemphis is the only center in the South – and just one of 10 sites nationwide – participating in the VENUS clinical trial to evaluate the Active Implants’ NUsurface (pronounced “new surface”) investigational meniscus implant for the treatment of persistent knee pain caused by injured or deteriorating G The meniscus is a tissue pad between the thigh and shin bones. Once damaged, the meniscus has a very limited ability to heal.  Over 1 million partial meniscectomies to remove or repair a torn meniscus are performed in the U.S. every year, about the same as the total number of hip and knee replacement surgeries combined. However, many patients still experience persistent knee pain following meniscus surgery. NUsurface is being evaluated as a new treatment option to fill the gap between minimally invasive meniscus repair and total knee replacement.