Individuals who experienced complications after being implanted with the Zimmer total knee replacement may qualify for legal action due to a recall of the replacement’s tibial plate.

Knee replacements are common orthopedic surgeries in which a doctor replaces the existing knee joint in a patient. Patients may need a knee replacement after an accident or injury, or due to degenerative damage associated with arthritis or osteoporosis. A large selection of knee replacements are available to patients and a qualified medical professional will typically find the best fit for an individual’s situation.

The Zimmer Persona knee replacement is a personalized total knee replacement system that was marketed as a device which considered individual patient needs to find the best fit. The components of the Zimmer total knee implant, including the Persona TM tibial plate, come in different sizes and fits so that the surgeon can personalize the implant for the patient.

“In a market focused on matching the bone to the implant shape and size, we found that the opposite needed to happen… we need to match the implant to the shape and size of the resected bone,” their website states. In theory, the Zimmer knee implant would allow surgeons to personalize the implant based on patient needs and the health of bone available.

Despite the promising marketing campaign for the Zimmer total knee replacement, the tibial plate of the Persona knee system was recalled in 2015. The voluntary recall affected all sizes and lots of the Persona TM tibial plate, affecting over 12,000 Zimmer knee implant units worldwide. Although only one component of the knee replacement implant was affected, entire knee replacement systems may have been compromised due to component failure.

The recalled tibial plate is a metal component of the Zimmer total knee replacement which attached to the tibia. The plate is attached by two pegs which are inserted into pre-drilled holes. The pegs are designed to fuse with the bone during the natural healing process after the surgery. Natural fusion of bone to implant increases the stability and longevity of a knee replacement implant.

Zimmer voluntarily recalled the plate after receiving reports that the tibial plate does not always fuse with the bone during the healing process. This can result in visible gaps between the component and the bone during X-ray imaging, signaling poor seating of the implant.

Poor seating of the Zimmer knee implant can cause complications in patients and symptoms including persistent pain, loosening of the device, lack of ingrowth, component failure, loss of mobility, inflammation, joint instability, fracture, and patella tracking issues.

Patients who developed complications due to a faulty tibial plate as a part of a Zimmer total knee replacement may have to undergo revision surgery to fix the problem and replace the implant. Although revision surgery would resolve any previous issues with the Zimmer total knee replacement, there are significant risks and a difficult recovery associated with the surgery.

If component failure from a Zimmer total knee replacement causes significant bone damage, a surgeon may have to graft new bone to compensate for the unusable bone. Additionally, if component failure resulted in tissue damage, recovery from an additional revision surgery can be more difficult on the patient.

If you or a loved one experiences complications due to the Zimmer total knee replacement which resulted in revision surgery, you may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of income, and more.