What is Zimmer Knee?
The Zimmer NexGen is a cementless knee replacement. The femoral component, which is located at the base of the thigh bone, is not cemented to the bone. Instead, it has a porous coating to help fuse the device to the thigh bone by encouraging bone growth.
Zimmer NexGen knee replacements include:
- Zimmer NexGen Complete Knee Solution MIS Tibial Components
- Zimmer NexGen CR-Flex Knee Replacement
- Zimmer NexGen CR-Flex Porous Femoral Component
- Zimmer NexGen LPS-Flex Mobile and Bearing Knee
- Zimmer NexGen Complete Knee Solution LPS Flex Gender Femoral Component
- Zimmer NexGen Complete Knee Solution LPS Femoral Component
Zimmer NexGen Lawsuits
If you had unexpected knee pain, a loose-fitting knee implant, or problems walking after Zimmer knee replacement surgery, you may qualify to file a Zimmer knee replacement lawsuit. Plaintiffs accuse Zimmer of selling a defective knee implant and failing to warn about the danger.
Over 1,000 Zimmer NexGen lawsuits are pending in a Multi-District Litigation (MDL No. 2272) in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, overseen by Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer, In re: Zimmer NexGen Knee Implant Products Liability Litigation.
What is the problem?
When a patient bends their knee, the femoral component rolls forward and exerts pressure on the lower parts of the knee implant. This pressure may prevent the femur from fusing with the knee implant.
The un-cemented Zimmer NexGen knee replacement can fail to properly fuse with a patient’s bone, leading to the device loosening and the need for revision surgery within two years. Hundreds of people reported high failure-rates and debilitating complications within a few months of receiving the implant. Zimmer is accused of negligence for failing to conduct sufficient pre-market studies, failing to recall the implant, and continuing to promote the NexGen for use in younger patients.
Surgeon Questions Zimmer Knee Safety
Dr. Richard Berger, a former consultant for Zimmer who was paid $8 million for his help developing “minimally invasive” surgical techniques for the NexGen, has publicly criticized the device for an unusually high rate of failure.
Dr. Berger gave the device to about 125 patients in 2005. By early 2006, some X-rays showed lines where there implant met the thigh bone, indicating that the device was loose and had not fused properly. Patients experienced pain when walking, apparently a complication of a loose knee implant.
Although Dr. Berger told Zimmer about the problem, the company blamed the surgeon’s technique for the problems. “Suddenly, I went from someone who was their master teacher to someone who didn’t know what he was doing,” Dr. Berger told the New York Times.
Dr. Berger knew several other surgeons were also having problems with the Zimmer knee replacement. In 2010, they presented their study at a national meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. They found that uncemented Zimmer knee implants failed in about 9% of patients, and about half of patients had symptoms of looseness.
Zimmer NexGen Recall
In September 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Class II recall for nearly 70,000 NexGen tibial components. The FDA received 114 complaints saying the device loosened prematurely and required revision surgery.
Zimmer Knee Side Effects
- Chronic pain
- Swelling
- Inflammation (redness, warmth, discomfort, etc.)
- Abnormal sounds in the knee (popping, grinding, clicking, etc.)
- Infection
- Loose, unstable, or dislocated knee implant
- Bone fractures
- Bone loss (osteolysis) or disintegration
- Decreased flexibility (stiffness)
- Soft tissue and nerve damage
- Revision surgery
- Limited mobility
Do I have a Zimmer Knee Class Action Lawsuit?
The Product Liability & Defective Medical Device Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in Zimmer knee replacement lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new cases in all 50 states.
Free Zimmer Knee Class Action Lawsuit Evaluation: Again, if you or a loved one took was injured by a Zimmer NexGen knee replacement, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit and we can help.