Patients claim that components of the Exactech Optetrak knee replacement fail prematurely. Allegedly, the device fails because the polyethylene (plastic) insert on the tibial side of the insert wears badly, causing the tibial plate to loosen and move from where it was implanted. This can cause the pieces of the knee implant to not fit, or track, together well.

A study published in Orthopaedics & Traumatology: Surgery & Research investigated how the Exactech total knee replacement performed post-surgery in 106 patients, just over two years after the knee replacement surgery.

The study reported that the device was performing poorly, with 22 percent of patients reporting regular pain that required pain killers, and another 22 percent of patients reporting that tibial plate was loosening. Of the 106 patients researched in the study, who had a total of 110 prostheses implanted, 13 implants reportedly required revision surgery.

Many patients who experienced complications as a result of the Exactech total knee replacement reportedly require revision surgery to either correct tibial plate loosening or to entirely replace the knee replacement with another knee replacement. Revision surgery can do a lot to correct a problem with a knee replacement, but it is not without risks. In fact, revision surgeries come with a higher risk of complication than initial knee replacement surgeries.

Patients undergoing revision knee replacement surgery are more likely to develop infection, to experience poor tracking, and have the device perform poorly than patients undergoing knee replacement surgery for the first time.

If you had a knee replacement surgery and were fitted with an Exactech total knee replacement, you may be experiencing failure of the device and not realize it. The symptoms of Exactech knee failure may include the following:

• Fluid production from irritation around the device
• Instability from joint loosening
• Mobility problems
• Noticeable warmth of the affected joint
• Skin redness from inflammation
• Pain, ranging from slight soreness to severe pain
• Swelling around the joint

In some cases when a medical device fails and causes injury to patients, the company that manufactures the device can be held accountable for patient injury. If it is found that the makers of the Exactech Optetrak knee replacement knew that the device was likely to fail but marketed it anyway, they may be legally accountable.

If you had a knee replacement surgery but do not know if you were fitted with the Exactech total knee replacement, contacting your doctor can help you determine what kind of device was used. Additionally, contacting an experienced knee replacement lawyer can help you determine if the Exactech Optetrak knee replacement was used, and if you have a legal claim.

Lawyers are investigating patient claims that the Exactech total knee replacement, made by Optetrak, is defective. A lawsuit can help hold a medical company accountable. Filing an Exactech lawsuit could help you gain compensation for physical, emotional, or financial injury you suffered as a result of Exactech Optetrak knee replacement failure. If you were fitted with the Exactech total knee replacement and experienced adverse symptoms, you may have a legal claim.

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If you or a loved one suffered from complications caused by an Attune knee implant, an Arthrex knee implant, or an Exactech knee implant, you may have a legal claim. In general, knee replacement surgery lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions. Get help now by filling out the form on this page for a FREE case evaluation.

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