More and more patients are reporting suffering from serious side effects with their Zimmer Persona knee implants. Some have chosen to pursue litigation, alleging the Zimmer Persona knee implants are defective. If you or someone you love have suffered from Zimmer Persona complications, you may be able to file a lawsuit.

Basics of the Zimmer Persona Knee Implant

The Zimmer knee replacement is one of the more popular knee options, implanted into the knee and attached with the use of the Persona Trabecular Metal tibial plate. Pegs are inserted into the bone and are design to “grow” into the bone, giving the implant stability.

Zimmer Persona Complications

Despite its popularity, the Zimmer Persona knee implant has been linked with significant complications, including device loosening. X-rays have reportedly shown signs of poor seating caused by movement or loosening of the device: gaps between the implant and the bone. Complications like this can lead to device failure, symptoms of which include persistent pain, loss of mobility, inflammation, knee instability, and knee tightness.

Zimmer has reported that 38 percent of the complaints it received about the Zimmer knee replacement referenced radiolucent lines or revision surgery from device failure. For many, revision surgery was necessitated by issues like pain, loosening, failure, tightness, instability, and fracture, among others.

Of course, any revision surgery brings about further risks. Patients undergoing Zimmer knee replacement revision may be at risk of pain, infection, blood clots, bone loss, fractures, or even nerve, tissue, or blood vessel damage. On top of the medical risks, patients forced to undergo revision surgery also incur additional medical expenses.

Recall of the Zimmer Persona Device

In March 2015, Zimmer issued a voluntary recall of the Zimmer Persona Trabecular Metal Tibial Plate component, following reports of loosening problems.

The recall affected around 12,000 individual components, and was classified as a “Class 2 Recall.” A Class 2 Recall like this indicates that the defective device is capable of causing temporary or reversible harm. A Class 1 Recall, by contrast, would mean that the device is capable of causing lasting or permanent harm.

The majority of the reports that led to the recall referenced two major side effects: radiolucent lines and device loosening. Radiolucent lines are, essentially, small gaps between the Zimmer knee replacement component and the bone, which indicates poor seating. This is the first sign of device loosening, the other major reported side effect. Device loosening means that the component has actually come loose from its original position, and often leads patients to undergo revision surgery.

Filing a Zimmer Persona Lawsuit

According to lawsuits, consumers were not given adequate warning about the risks associated with the Zimmer knee replacement device, which include pain, inflammation, and more, which in some cases may necessitate revision surgery to alleviate.

If you or someone you love had a Zimmer Persona device that included the Persona TM Tibial Plate, implanted between 2012 and 2015, you may be able to file a lawsuit against the device’s manufacturer. While filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by a defective Zimmer Persona component, it can help to alleviate the financial burden caused by medical expenses and lost wages.