Knee Revision System With Oxinium

A new knee revision system, used to replace or upgrade a total knee prosthesis, offers the potential for reduced operating time as well as additional durability.

Called Legion, the system has an oxidized zirconium (Oxinium) component that offers maximum biocompatibility and the potential for better performance. The product of Smith & Nephew Orthopedics (Memphis, TN, USA), Legion is the only revision implant option on the market that addresses concerns of metal-sensitive patients. Oxinium has been shown to decrease polyethylene wear in laboratory testing and Legion has been modeled on Smith & Nephew's successful Genesis II knee system, which has been used in more than 500,000 surgeries worldwide.

Oxinium is created through a proprietary manufacturing process that enables zirconium to absorb oxygen and transform to a ceramic on the surface, resulting in a material that incorporates the best features of ceramic and metal while avoiding the limitations associated with either material. Oxinium is used in the production of components for knee and hip implants, where it exhibits superior performance characteristics due to its hardness, low-friction, and resistance to roughening and abrasion. Since 1995, more than 100,000 hip and knee components have incorporated Oxinium implants.

"The use of Oxinium makes Legion the only revision knee product with an advanced bearing material, and offers surgeons a new generation of surgical instruments that help reduce operating time and conserve the patient's bone,” said Scott Flora, senior vice president of Smith & Nephew's Reconstructive Division.




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