The Supera® Peripheral Stent System treats patients with blocked blood vessels in the upper leg caused by peripheral artery disease (PAD). The Supera stent, which mimics rather than resists the artery’s natural movement, is an important advancement for many PAD patients, helping them to reduce their leg pain while walking. Its unique, proprietary interwoven wire technology restores blood flow to the treated area, while offering strength and flexibility. Specifically, the Supera stent treats blockages in the superficial femoral artery (SFA), a blood vessel in the thigh, and the proximal popliteal artery (PPA), a blood vessel above the knee. Compared to standard nitinol stents, the Supera stent is more flexible, stronger, and resistant to kinks or fracture under vigorous movement.These features are particularly important when treating vessels in the leg, where frequent movement occurs with daily activities, such as walking, sitting and standing. Data from the SUPERB clinical trial, which was used to support FDA approval of the Supera stent, have shown the Supera stent to be highly effective in opening up blocked blood vessels in the upper leg, even in difficult cases, and results have been shown to last over time.In addition, during the first year after being treated with the Supera stent, there were no stent fractures, and at two years there was a very low stent fracture rate of 0.5 percent. Stent fractures are a known risk of treatment with traditional metallic stents in the leg due to the frequency and type of movement in this part of the body.  The Supera stent is made by Abbott, a global healthcare company.