Fletcher Allen, a Vermont university hospital and medical center, serves all of
Vermont and the northern New York region. Located in Burlington, Fletcher Allen is a regional, academic healthcare center and teaching hospital in alliance with the University of Vermont.
Learn About the 30-Year Knee
New Knee Implant Now Available for Knee Replacement Surgery
Fletcher Allen’s orthopedic surgeons now offer the latest technology for active knee patients: the Smith & Nephew LEGION Cruciate Retaining Knee implant with FDA-cleared VERILAST Knee Technology. This implant is an innovative solution with the potential to double the life of traditional knee implants to 30 years, under normal conditions.
Considering knee replacement surgery? Request an appointment or call 802-847-2663.
Benefits of VERILAST
Unlike knee implants made from cobalt chrome metal and a high-density plastic, FDA-cleared VERILAST Technology is the combination of low-friction metal alloy OXINIUM – which is 4,900 times more abrasion resistant than cobalt chrome – and a highly cross-linked polyethylene plastic insert. By combining these two low-friction materials, the new knee implant device can significantly reduce the kind of wear that can cause an implant to wear out before its time.
Fletcher Allen orthopedic surgeons are the only providers in Vermont offering Smith & Nephew’s LEGION Cruciate Retaining Knee implant with VERILAST Knee Technology
- FDA-cleared VERILAST is the only knee technology laboratory tested for 30 simulated years of wear performance. This is a vast improvement over the current estimated useful implant lifespan of 10 to 15 years.
- Materials are 20% lighter and dramatically smoother than conventional cobalt chrome implants.
- Hypoallergenic – there’s no nickel or chromium, which can cause problems for patients who have metal sensitivity.
New Technologies Enhance Total Knee Replacement at Fletcher Allen
We are now combining this new VERILAST Technology with Smith & Nephew’s VISIONAIRE custom-fit surgical instrumentation system for knee replacement surgery. We have been using VISIONAIRE technology since 2009 to reduce anesthesia time, lower the risk of infection, reduce the risk of implant misalignment, reduce soft tissue and muscle damage, and lessen pain during the recovery process.
Together, the VERILAST and VISIONAIRE technologies offer patients a longer-lasting, more natural feeling knee joint with a shorter recovery period than traditional knee joint replacement options.
Considering knee replacement surgery? Request an appointment or call 802-847-2663.
