Exactech knee replacement failures have been reported throughout the country, with patients alleging knee implant complications had forced them to undergo revision surgery.

The FDA had reportedly received reports of Exactech knee replacement failures, in which the devices reportedly failed prematurely due to tibial insert wear and tear of the knee implant. The FDA’s Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database had received multiple reports of early Exactech knee replacement failures.

The Exactech knee replacement implant is often prescribed to patients who have damaged or deteriorated kneecaps, and need orthopedic implants to restore movement. These devices are supposed to help patients return to their normal routine, as well as encourage patients to live a healthy and active lifestyle.

However, instead of improving the lives of patients, reports of Exactech knee replacement failures indicate the devices had compounded the patients’ knee problems. In addition to intense pain and suffering, these implants allegedly caused patients to incur serious medical damages.

Overview of Exactech Knee Replacement Failures

Recently several knee replacement manufacturers have issued recalls of their devices, including the Exactech knee replacement, due to high numbers of failure reports.

Approximately 4.4 million Americans have undergone knee replacement surgery to fix knee related injuries. A number of patients from this group received and reported Exactech knee replacement failures, as well as problems with other knee replacement implants including:

• Pain
• Limited Mobility
• Swelling
• Instability
• Infections
• Fractures
• Implant Disassociation
• Inflammation
• Implant Loosening
• Knee Implant Component Position Change
• Patello-Femoral Tracking-Lateral Release (Kneecap moving out of place)

The Exactech knee replacement recall was issued soon after the FDA had received a high number of Exactech knee replacement failure reports, and after reviewing a recent study that examined Exactech knee replacement implants.

The study was conducted by Orthopaedics & Traumatology: Surgery & Research, which analyzed 110 prostheses in 106 patients who received Exactech Optetrak. These patients were observed up to 25 months after knee replacement surgery, with researchers finding that Exactech patients had suffered a number of complications:

• 15% of patients reported feeling disappointed or dissatisfied
• 22% of patients reported feeling pain and needing painkillers on a frequent basis
• 22% of patients reported experiencing tibial implant loosening
• 21% of patients reported signs of patellofemoral conflict
• 13 patients reported needing revision surgery for tibial loosening, patellofemoral instability, or patellofemoral pain

Researchers found that the primary factor contributing to the Exactech knee replacement failures was the tibial loosening at the cement-tibial-implant interface components of the device. In addition, Exactech knee implant complications were also caused by fragmentation and wear and tear of the device’s components.

As indicated in the study, many cases of Exactech knee replacement failures force patients to undergo revision surgery to fix these complications. These procedures involve replacing or removing the defective knee implants, and are considered higher risk than the initial implant surgeries.

Patients who suffered Exactech knee replacement failures may be able to file legal action to seek compensation for their injuries. Potential claimants should contact a lawyer to determine eligibility for a knee replacement failure lawsuit.

Get a Free Knee Replacement Case Review

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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