If you have experienced Zimmer Persona knee problems after knee replacement surgery, your issues could stem from a defective metal tibial plate.

The cementless Zimmer Persona Trabecular Metal tibial plate used in knee replacement surgeries from 2012 to 2015 has been recalled because it can possibly loosen.

X-rays showing gaps between the knee implant and the bone can indicate “poor seating,” which can be a precursor to the plate loosening.

Zimmer Persona knee problems such as constant pain, mobility issues, inflammation, knee tightness, or instability can be symptoms of the tibial plate starting to fail.

Zimmer Persona Knee Problems Include Loosening

The part in question is a plate that is designed to connect with the bone using two pegs that are supposed to spur bone growth to provide stability. The tibial plate is anchored only with the two pegs; no surgical cement is used.

Zimmer announced a voluntary recall of the Zimmer Persona tibial plate in February 2015, a recall that affected nearly 12,000 components. Issues indicating Zimmer Persona knee problems included:

• Radiolucent lines: These are tiny gaps between the tibial plate and the bone that indicate “poor seating,” which occurs when the implant has moved from its originally intended position. These radiolucent lines are early indicators that the component is becoming loose.
• Loosening: The metal plate becomes loose from its original position. Zimmer says that a loose component “is one of the most prevalent causes for revision in total knee arthroplasty.”

The FDA announced the tibial plate recall as a Class 2 recall March 2015. The Class 2 designation is reserved for drugs and devices that cause reversible or temporary harm to patients.

Of patients reporting Zimmer Persona knee problems to the manufacturer, 38 percent of patients indicated symptoms from radiolucent lines or needed revision surgery.

Unfortunately, revision surgery is not an ideal solution. Patients who must endure a second knee replacement surgery are at a higher risk for complications, including:

• Infection
• Damage to nerves, tissue or blood vessels
• Blood Clots
• Bone loss
• Bone fractures
• Different leg lengths
• Pain and inflammation

“Although your artificial knee can be replaced, a second implant is seldom as effective as the first,” says Zimmer Biomet’s website.

What makes a second knee replacement surgery so tragic in these cases is that the second surgery may have been avoided if the Zimmer Persona metal tibial plate had not been defective.

If you have suffered from Zimmer Persona knee problems that have resulted in revision surgery since March 2015, you could be eligible for compensation through legal representation.