Patients who have begun to experience unexplained problems and pain after their implantation surgery may be affected by the same problems that led to the Zimmer tibial plate recall. Some who have undergone revision surgery or who have been seriously injured are considering taking legal action to hold the manufacturer responsible for the defects.

The Zimmer Tibial plate recall could affect hundreds or thousands of individuals due to an issue associated with poor seating. The poor seating issue in the Zimmer Tibial plate recall means that some patients have already reported that the knee implant’s tibial plate has become loose from its original station inside the body.

Some of the most common indications that a patient has suffered injuries associated with the Zimmer Tibial plate recall include instability of the knee, inflammation, consistent pain, loss of mobility, and knee tightness. X-rays completed for the patients who may be affected by the Zimmer Tibial plate recall show a gap between the bone and the knee implant.

This can lead to significant pain over the course of time. Two pegs are inserted into the bone at the time of the implant and are intended to ultimately grow into the bone. The primary purpose of these two pegs is to add stability to the implant.

However, in February 2015, the company initiated a Zimmer tibial plate recall because more than 12,000 of their metal components could have been affected by this problem.

Numerous complaints were put up by patients prompting the Zimmer tibial plate recall, regarding two primary issues associated with the replacement components. These included:

• The metal plate coming loose from its original attachment points, which is one of the most common causes for revision surgeries.
• Radiolucent lines, which indicated that there were gaps between the bone and the knee implant component tied to poor seating issues. Radiolucent lines are identified as one of the first signs of loosening.

Although the Zimmer tibial plate recall was initiated in February 2015, the FDA released their official notice of the recall in March 2015, classifying it as a Class 2 recall.

Many of the patients who may be entitled to action in the Zimmer tibial plate recall may have had to go through revision surgery. Anyone who has this device currently and believes they’re suffering from symptoms of premature failure should schedule a meeting with their doctor to discuss what to do next.

Much like with other medical devices, the manufacturer could be named in lawsuits if patients suffer from unexpected pain and device breakdown. Reports of such complications can prompt FDA intervention and even defective medical device lawsuits.

Revision surgery presents its own risks of infection and other problems. Many of the most common issues associated with revision surgery were prompted by fracture, loss of fixation, persistent pain, loosening of the device, patella tracking issues, a globally tight knee, or component failure.

Patients who have begun to experience unexplained problems and pain after their implantation surgery may be able to seek compensation. Some who have been seriously injured are considering taking legal action to hold the manufacturer responsible for the defects.