Zimmer Knee Revision Surgery: Grounds for Legal Action?

Patients of Zimmer’s popular NexGen knee replacement system could be seeking legal action as more and more reports surface of the possible connection between the artificial joint and knee revision surgery, a complex and risky medical procedure. Zimmer knee revision surgery occurs when a knee replacement system experiences failure, and seeks to revise or replace the failed joint. However, it is complicated by issues such as scar tissue and damage to the bone around the joint from previous surgeries and the joint failure itself, making the procedure risky and increasing healing and rehabilitation time.

Zimmer Knee Implant Lawsuits Filed Over Looseness

The Zimmer NexGen LPS “high-flex” components are designed to allow a greater degree of flexion than the standard femoral component. However, plaintiffs allege that higher flexation places the knee replacement at a higher risk of loosening. In recent weeks, at least three product liability lawsuits have been filed by individuals who experienced problems with Zimmer NexGen LPS knee replacements, alleging that they required revision surgery after the artificial replacement knee systems began to loosen or fail. Experienced Zimmer knee lawyers and plaintiffs have indicated that the device maker created the image and impression that using the Zimmer NexGen knee was safe, despite the fact that the manufacturer had previous knowledge of serious injuries associated with the components.

Dr. Richard Berger Could Save Patients Money with New Procedure

Dr. Richard Berger has revolutionized knee replacement surgery by developing a minimally invasive method of replacing these invaluable joints. As a result of Dr. Berger’s surgical method his patients experience greatly reduced pain and dramatically reduced recovery time compared with patients undergoing traditional hip and knee replacement surgery. In fact most of Dr. Berger’s patients are able to leave the hospital the same day of their joint replacement surgery. This should cut the patients recovery time, spent in a hospital, by%80 and, therefore, save the millions of people who undergo knee replacements surgery every year millions of dollars over all. However, there has been an alarmingly high failure rate of Zimmer knee replacement devices, requiring patients to undergo Zimmer knee revision surgery, which is a lengthy and painful process.

Studies Raise Serious Concern Over NexGen Knee

A 2010 study of 108 patients with Zimmer NexGen CR-Flex knee replacements found that the device had a failure rate of 9.3%, while 36% of patients fitted with the Zimmer knee replacement experienced significant loosening of the device. Many patients require a second surgery, a Zimmer knee revision surgery, which is a painful, lengthy process. According to the data collected by the knee specialists who conducted the study, the complications that occurred in Zimmer knee replacements were not related to the surgeon, surgical procedure, or type of patient. Last summer, the New York Times reported on two physicians, Dr. Berger and Dr. Della Valle, from Rush Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Berger was a former consultant of Zimmer who implanted a number of flex knees. However, he found an unacceptably high rate of failure of nearly 10% and the need for Zimmer replacements for the flex knees. If Berger's estimates are accurate, then there could be thousands of Zimmer replacements needed in the future.

Defendants Likely Oppose Zimmer Knee Multidistrict Litigation

Although a statement has not yet been released by the company, it is likely that orthopedic device manufacturer Zimmer will oppose a recent motion filed with the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation looking to consolidate Zimmer knee lawsuits into a multidistrict litigation case. The motion, which was filed on June 7th by the lawyer for Zimmer knee plaintiff Fred Stone, would be beneficial to plaintiffs if it were to be passed.

Lawyers Investigate Zimmer Knee Failure Cases

Experienced Zimmer knee lawyers have been reviewing potential claims for over a year on behalf of individuals who have experienced problems with a Zimmer knee replacement. Individuals may be entitled to compensation and benefits through a Zimmer NexGen knee replacement recall lawsuit as a result of the manufacturer’s failure to adequately test and research their device or warn about the risk of problems.

Zimmer Knee Recall Affects Hundreds

During the 2010 meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons a prominent knee surgeon announced thata study he had conducted showed a high rate of Zimmer knee failure. The Zimmer NexGen device seemed to be related to side effects like component loosening, pain, and difficulty walking in an extraordinary number of patients. Based on this, he advised other surgeons not to use the Zimmer device in their surgeries.

Zimmer Knee Failure Rates Increasing

In 2008, Zimmer Holdings, Inc., a medical device maker who is considered a leader in the field of hip and knee replacements, issued a public Zimmer knee recall on its NEXGEN MIS Total Knee System. MIS means minimally invasive surgery. The Zimmer recall occurred after the device appeared to potentially have broken during surgeries leaving fragments of metal in patients’ knees. Later, Zimmer clarified the recall by citing that the minimally invasive surgery instrument was what was recalled not the knee implant itself.
More recently, a study was published that suggested that this particular NexGen implant itself was failing at a high rate. The publication was titled, “The High Failure Rate of a High-Flex Total Knee Arthroplasty Design”. Since it was brought to market, more than 150,000 of these implants have been sold, and new data suggests that while they were originally projected to last around 15 years, a large percentage have failed in three years or less. Zimmer knee failure rates are increasing in high numbers.
This past March, the results of a study were presented at an American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons conference that indicated that 36 percent of NexGen patients examined after two years showed signs of the replacement loosening. Indeed, the Australian National Joint Replacement Registry reported 120 revision procedures on Zimmer recipients since 2004. In the face of these data, Zimmer Holdings claims surgeons negligently implanted the devices or chose the used the wrong devices for their patients. This has raised a problem in that a recall was never officially requested outside of the company, leading many to take legal action without knowing where the blame lies. Victims of Zimmer knee failure should contact an experienced Zimmer knee lawyer as soon as possible to ensure proper representation in filing a lawsuit.