You may benefit from a knee replacement lawsuit if your knee implant includes a Zimmer Persona Trabecular Metal Tibial Plate.

The tibial plate is under a Class 2 recall issued in February 2015. The FDA’s Class 2 designation is for drugs and devices that can result in temporary or reversible harm to the patient. Zimmer had issued a voluntary recall just one month earlier.

The tibial plate connects the knee implant to the bone without the use of surgical cement. Two long pegs are inserted into the shin bone (tibia). These two pegs are designed to spur bone growth that will act as a natural stabilizer for the implant. In many cases, however, the bone growth was not enough to keep the implant properly in place.

The Zimmer Persona tibial plate recall was issued due to two common complaints:

• Radiolucent Lines: These thin lines on an x-ray are indicative of an implant starting to loosen due to “poor seating,” which means the implant has moved from its originally intended position.
• Loosening: The tibial plate becomes loose because the component hasn’t set fully and correctly. The metal pegs are not held in place adequately by the body’s bone growth and no other material acts as a backup stabilizer.

Zimmer reports that of the complaints it has received regarding the failed tibial plates, 38 percent of patients had symptomatic radiolucent lines or underwent revision surgery. Other problems reported with failed knee implants include:

• Constant pain
• Device loosening
• Lack of ingrowth into bone
• Component failure
• Fixation loss
• Globally tight knee
• Instable knee
• Bone fracture
• Tracking issues of the patella (knee cap)

Knee Replacement Lawsuit Eligibility

If you have needed knee replacement revision surgery due to a faulty tibial plate, you could qualify for a knee replacement lawsuit.

A second knee surgery on the same knee presents its own serious risks. Anyone who has undergone a second knee replacement surgery is at a higher risk of infection, blood clots, swelling, nerve damage and bone loss. Nearby tissue and blood vessels are more susceptible to damage the second time around as well. A reduction in bone mass can translate to a discrepancy in leg length for some patients who have had multiple surgeries on one knee.

A knee replacement lawsuit can help you obtain compensation for your additional hospital stay, medical costs, time away from work, and time away from your life with family and friends.

The tibial plate in question was part of the Zimmer knee implant system from 2012 through 2015. If unsure you have the cementless Zimmer Persona Trabecular Metal tibial plate, you can check an x-ray. The Persona tibial plate will show two pegs projecting into the tibia.

An experienced lawyer can help determine whether you qualify for a knee implant lawsuit.