Reinventing Meniscus Treatments

The meniscus plays a critical role in the knee, including stability of the joint and shock absorbing protection. We know from scientific evidence, as well as our team’s first-hand clinical experience, that meniscus injuries present a major treatment challenge. Since the meniscus has limited healing ability, the current standard of care for those with ongoing symptoms is to cut out the damaged portion of the tissue (a meniscectomy). The loss of the meniscus cushion can lead to chronic pain, impaired mobility, and the early onset of arthritis over time. OrthoPreserve’s meniscus implant is intended to replace a dysfunctional meniscus to relieve symptoms and reduce the risks of accelerated joint degeneration that would normally accompany a meniscectomy.

OrthoPreserve was founded in 2021 by a team of orthopedic clinicians and biomedical engineers whose focus is to bring a new meniscus injury treatment to the patients in need: a replacement implant. The implant was developed at one of the top Engineering institutions in the United States by one of OrthoPreserve’s founders, where significant testing demonstrated that it’s functional performance matches natural meniscus tissue. OrthoPreserve was awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 2023, which has allowed for continued development of the implant towards patient availability.

Ultimately, our mission is to help patients return to pain-free activity, restore their quality of life, and potentially delay arthritis and the need for a total knee replacement with a far less invasive alternative - OrthoPreserve’s meniscus implant.