Artificial knee surgically placed in patients who had knee replacements. The device has been recalled.
History: Knee replacements were developed in the 1970’s. There have been thousands of lawsuits due to faulty implants. The claims were that the cement failed to properly bond to the implant bone which caused loosening. The manufacturers did not properly design the implant and were therefore defective, the manufacturer knew or should have known about the defect and the manufacturer did not properly warn patients about the defect and the side effects from the defects. The manufacturers that have been named in the lawsuits are DePuy, Stryker, & Zimmer. Zimmer recently settled 4,000 lawsuits for $1 billion.
Manufacturer: DePuy, Stryker, Zimmer
Serious Side effects: Loosening of parts causing revision surgeries. Implants contained high amounts of iron, Parts were prone to breakage, Adhesive used was improper, Manufacturing defects making placement impossible, Screws were too long, separation of parts after implantation, Packaging issues affecting shelf life and sterility.
