Patients with a failed Persona knee implant necessitating revision surgery may qualify for legal action following a voluntary recall of the implant’s tibial plate.

If the knee joint is damaged by accident, injury, or a degenerative condition such as arthritis or osteoporosis, patients may need to undergo knee replacement surgery. The procedure is common and involves replacing the existing joint with an implant that mimics the natural joint’s motion.

A variety of knee replacement implants are available, and an orthopedic surgeon will find the best fit for an individual’s needs.

The Zimmer Persona knee implant is a personalized total knee replacement system that was marketed as considering individual patient needs to find the best fit. Components of the Persona knee implant come in different sizes and fits so that a surgeon can personalize the implant based on a patient’s physiology.

“In a market focused on matching the bone to the implant shape and size, we found that the opposite needed to happen… we need to match the implant to the shape and size of the resected bone,” their website states. In theory, the Zimmer knee implant would allow surgeons to personalize the implant based on patient needs and the health of bone available.

Despite the optimistic advertising for the Persona knee implant, a component of the device was subject to a voluntary recall in 2015. The recall affected all sizes and lots of the implant’s tibial plate, affecting over 12,000 units across the globe. Problems reported with the Persona tibial plate could be signs of early component failure.

The recalled Persona TM tibial plate is a metal plate which attached to the tibia by two pegs, inserted into pre-drilled holes. The pegs are intended to fuse with the tibial bone during the healing process, creating stability and longevity for the new joint.

However, Zimmer recalled the plate after receiving reports that the tibial plate does not always fuse to the bone. This can result in gaps between the component and the bone, visible during X-ray imaging. The visible gap signals poor seating of the bone, causing complications in patients and symptoms including persistent pain, loosening of the device, lack of ingrowth, component failure, loss of mobility, inflammation, joint instability, fracture, and patella tracking issues.

Patients who developed complications after being implanted with a Persona knee implant may have to undergo revision surgery to fix the problem. Although revision surgery provides a solution to any complications related to the Persona knee implant, there are significant risks associated with the surgery.

If component failure from a previous Persona knee implant caused damage to bone and tissue, a surgeon may have to graft new bone to compensate for the damage. Revision surgery is also associated with a difficult recovery, as a patient also has to heal and recover from any damage caused by the previous Persona knee implant.

If you or a loved one experiences complications due to the Persona knee implant which resulted in revision surgery, you may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of income, and more.