Plymouth, Minn., surgical instrument maker Blue Belt Technologies said Thursday that it agreed to support Smith & Nephew’s Journey UNI knee system on its Navio surgical system.

The Navio system’s open-implant architecture allows users to choose from a number of different implants from a variety of manufacturers, Smith & Nephew’s knee system now being one of them. The system designed for the UK devicemaker uses computed tomography-free navigation software and an exclusive handheld, computer-controlled bone shaping tool to deliver robotic assistance for partial knee replacements.

Smith & Nephew Vice President Scott Elliott noted that partial knees can be difficult to align and balance. “Thanks to this agreement, surgeons now have a navigation system that helps alleviate that surgical concern, as well as a partial knee that directly addresses implant durability," he said.

More than 450 Navio-assisted unicondylar knee replacement procedures have been performed since the system hit the U.S. market in 2013, Blue Belt said. — Kellen Owings

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