Bone cement used in knee replacement surgeries may lead to a condition known as aseptic loosening in the tibia. If you had a knee replacement surgery and then experienced loosening between the implant and the tibia because of problems with the bone cement used in the replacement, you may have a legal claim.

Patients have reported that in some cases, their knee replacement has failed because of bone cement that did not properly connect the tibial side of the implant to the bone. When this happens in the absence of an infection, it’s known as aseptic loosening.

In some cases, patients may have experienced symptoms of aseptic loosening without knowing what caused the problem. Symptoms of aseptic loosening include:

• persistent pain
• new chronic pain
• instability
• swelling
• decreased range of motion

Bone cement is not used in all knee replacements. Some knee replacement implants do not require cement. Bone cement is used in other implants to help attach the implant to the natural bone of the patient.

Unfortunately, aseptic loosening has been reported in conjunction with several different types of bone cement used in knee replacement surgeries.

The types of bone cement that are found to be associated with aseptic loosening in the tibia are high-viscosity cements. There are three types of bone cement — low, medium, and high-viscosity cement. Surgeons sometime prefer high viscosity cement because it is easier to work with than other types of cement. Reportedly, it takes less time to mix together, and sets faster than other types of cement.

However, the risks of high viscosity cement may outweigh the benefits for patients. Reportedly, it is more prone to failure than low or medium viscosity cements because it doesn’t bond as well to the bone as the other types of cements, and this failure can cause the implant to loosen from the bone.

Some bone cement products that may be linked to aseptic loosening include:

• Cobalt HV Bone Cement (Biomet/DJO Surgical)
• DePuy CMW 1 Bone Cement
• Simplex HV Bone Cement (Stryker/Howmedica)
• SmartSet HV Bone Cement (DePuy)

You may not know what type of bone cement was used in your surgery, but your doctor may be able to help you determine what type of cement was used. 

Bone Cement Aseptic Loosening Lawsuits

Patients who have experienced aseptic loosening have filed lawsuits against the companies that who produce the bone cement, claiming that the cement is defective or that the company misrepresented the product. Some patients have reported being injured after aseptic loosening set in.

Some patients who experience aseptic loosening have to undergo revision surgery to repair or replace the implant. Revision surgeries can offer relief from the complications of aseptic loosening, but are risky in themselves. Patients undergoing revision joint replacement surgeries have a higher risk of infection and complications than patients undergoing initial joint replacement surgeries.

So, patients who are injured by aseptic loosening often must face further injury, in addition to pain and suffering, as well as increased medical costs, when they undergo revision surgery.