Smith & Nephew ( SNN, LSE: SN) Orthopaedics Division today announces the global launch of its VLP™ FOOT Variable-angle Locked Plating system. The portfolio of innovative screws and low-profile plates expands for Smith & Nephew surgeon customers the variety of patients who can return to an active lifestyle after orthopaedic foot surgery.
The broad range of screw types and plate designs in the VLP FOOT system solves one of the key issues facing orthopaedic surgeons—matching the internal bone fixation technology to the patient's sometimes difficult bone type. While the system offers low-profile versions of both classic plate designs and newer anatomic ones, VLP FOOT screw options give it an unrivalled breadth of fixation choices. For instance, it includes innovative locking screws that can be placed at 15-degrees off the center axis in any direction, giving the surgeon tremendous flexibility when choosing how to position the plate over the fracture. And its array of screw thread designs address every type of bone—such as younger patients with harder bone, older patients with softer bone, and even diabetic patients who may have neuropathic diseased bone.