Many knee replacement recipients have received the Zimmer Persona system during their total knee arthroplasty. But an element of this knee replacement system, the Zimmer Persona Trabecular Metal Plate has been recalled by the manufacturer, alerting recipients of this knee system of possible problems with their devices.

The Zimmer Persona tibial plate recall was voluntarily issued by the manufacturer, Zimmer, and has affected thousands of devices. The Zimmer Persona tibial plate recall was issued because a part of the knee replacement system, the Zimmer Personal Trabecular Metal Plate, has been determined to be faulty and potentially harmful to patients.

This Trabecular Metal Plate is a metal part of the complete replacement system. The way this knee replacement system works is that this plate is attached to the bone without the use of cement. The Trabecular Metal Plate is directly implanted into the tibia by way of two pegs.

These two pegs are inserted directly into the bone of the tibia and over time, the bone is supposed to grow around them, securing the implant. However, even though this knee replacement system is supposed to be superior to previous systems, patients and doctors have been reporting problems with the device.

The Zimmer Persona tibial plate recall was issued in 2015 after the device manufacturer received increasing reports of two types of problems. This voluntary Zimmer Persona tibial plate recall affected almost 12,000 knee replacement systems.

The first area of concern and one that helped prompt the recall of the Trabecular Metal Plate is that of the incidence of radiolucent lines.

Radiolucent lines are essentially gaps or spaces between the implant and the bone where there should be none. This can be seen through the use of X-rays. When radiolucent lines appear, this is a sign of poor seating, or movement from the original intended place of the implant. Radiolucent lines often point to larger, impending problems.

Another, and more alarming, problem that prompted the recall of the Trabecular Metal Plate is loosening. Loosening is the unfortunate condition in which the implant itself becomes loosened from its original spot. This often means that the patient must undergo revision surgery.

Revision surgery is more dangerous and poses more risks than the original arthroplasty surgery. Patients must undergo additional pain, loss of income, recovery time and pay additional medical bills when subjected to revision surgery.

Revision surgery can also mean additional potentially dangerous conditions including blood clots, pain and swelling, fractures, infection, nerve or tissue damage and leg length discrepancies.

Other reported symptoms of problematic Zimmer Persona components include persistent pain, lack of ingrowth, component failure, loss of fixation, globally tight knee, patella tracking issues, instability and fracture.

Some of these problems can lead to a complete failure of the device resulting in the need for revision surgery for patients.

After the company announced its Zimmer Persona tibial plate recall, the FDA issued a notice of that same voluntary recall, calling it a Class 2 recall.

If you or someone you love has had a Zimmer Persona implant, you may benefit from speaking with an experienced attorney. While legal compensation cannot take away the pain and suffering associated with revision surgery, it may help to alleviate the costs associated with medical bills and lost wages.