Defective medical devices: Some physicians have been informing patients who received Zimmer Persona Trabecular Metal knee implants that the implants have been recalled by the company.
In March of this year, Zimmer, Inc. issued a voluntary recall of the Persona implants. The recall came as a result of concerns about how well the metal surface of the implant attaches to bone and because some surgeons did not feel that these Zimmer knee implants performed as the surgeons expected them to perform.
The recall affects more than 12,000 implants. According to letters sent to patients by orthopedic surgeons, more than 6,500 Zimmer Persona Trabecular Metal implants have been used in surgeries worldwide.
The Zimmer Persona knee implant system was designed to be used without cement and was promoted as performing like a natural knee. Zimmer reported that an increasing number of complaints cite failure of the implant to be secured to the bone properly. This failure allows the gaps between the implant and bone to fill with fluid, which can result in osteolysis bone damage leading to failure of the implant.
Other Zimmer knee implants have been previously recalled by the Food and Drug Administration. In 2010, the Zimmer NexGen MIS Tibial component of NexGen Flex knee implants was recalled. The Natural Knee II Durasul All-Poly Patella was recalled in January 2012.
Zimmer Inc., a company based in Indiana, has become one of the world’s leading manufacturer of knee implants.
If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective Zimmer knee implant, or other defective medical devices, contact the defective medical device attorneys at Clark, Perdue & List.