Exactech Knee and Ankle Recall
Exactech knee and ankle polyethylene inserts were recently recalled. People who have had these implants inserted into their body need to speak to their doctors to see if they need surgery. The knee replacements are being recalled because one of the packaging layers for a plastic component allowed air to diffuse into the plastic component before the knees were inserted into the body. A large amount of oxygen in the inserts can cause oxidation, leading to the plastic wearing out much sooner than expected or becoming damaged in the body. If the insert wears sooner than expected, patients could need another surgery to fix the problem. This is known as revision surgery. Doctors need to examine you via X-ray to determine if the insert has been damaged or worn.
The ankle replacement devices have the same problem as the knee insert devices. Air and oxygen can become infused into the plastic of the insert because of a flaw in the packaging, leading to oxidation and a break down of the plastic. The plastic can then become damaged in the body or could wear out sooner than expected, leading to the insert breaking. An X-ray needs to be taken by a doctor to determine if the ankle component has broken down and could potentially break. Doctors will then decide if you need surgery to remove the component.
Failed medical devices can create large problems for patients. Patients should expect a certain level of safety from medical devices, and if they do not perform safely, companies need to pay damages to victims of their failed devices. Exactech knee and ankle implants can cause debris production, bone loss, component fatigue, and component cracking and fracture. There have been around 147,732 of these devices implanted since 2004.
If you have one of these devices and are experiencing swelling, pain when walking, inability to bear weight on the device, grinding or other noise from the device, instability, or clicking in the knee or ankle, contact the doctor who performed the surgery to be evaluated. The medical professional should help you determine if revision surgery is needed.
Did you have an Exactech replacement knee or ankle device that needed to be removed because of the recall? You could be entitled to compensation. Contact our firm today to see if you qualify for damages because of the failed medical device. Call 412-471-3980 or fill out our contact form to speak with a member of our team. Our team of attorneys and paralegals will help you determine if a lawsuit for a failed Exactech medical device is right for you. Don’t delay- contact us today to see if you could be entitled to compensation!
