Zimmer NexGen Knee In Danger of High Rate of Failure

More than 200,000 potentially defective Zimmer NexGen knee replacement components may have been used throughout the United States, which could have caused thousands of people to experience problems or require additional Zimmer knee revision surgery due to early failure of their knee replacement. In March 2010, data was presented at a conference of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons by several prominent knee surgeons that suggested some Zimmer NexGen components may have a higher-than-expected failure rate. Surgeons reported that nearly 9% of cases they reviewed involving the use of the Zimmer NexGen CR-Flex Porous Femoral components resulted in revision surgery within two years and more than a third showed signs of loosening.

Patients who have experienced Zimmer knee implant problems have complained of Zimmer knee failure, loosening of replacement knees, knee pain and other complications. Symptoms of loose or failing knee implants may include the following: lasting knee pain; knee stiffness; limping; difficulty walking; trouble placing weight on the knee; and decreased motion in the joint. Patients who are experiencing signs of Zimmer knee replacement complications should contact their doctor, who can perform a bone scan or x-ray to confirm a loose artificial knee. Plaintiffs have claimed that the device maker created the image and impression that using the Zimmer NexGen knee was safe, despite knowledge of serious injuries associated with the components.

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. A Zimmer NexGen LPS recall was issued in September 2010, involving certain high-flex femoral components that were found to have nonconforming and inconsistent geometry. Over the past year, a growing number of patients throughout the United States have filed a Zimmer knee lawsuit alleging that they experienced similar problems as a result of design defects associated with various components.In March 2010, concerns were raised when Dr. Richard A. Berger, a former consultant for Zimmer, presented data that suggested problems with the Zimmer NexGen CR-Flex knee resulted in the need for revision surgery in nearly 9% of cases examined and caused knee replacement loosening in more than a third of cases.