Zimmer NexGen LPS Lawsuits Filed Over Knee Replacement Problems

In recent weeks, at least three product liability lawsuits have been filed by individuals who experienced problems with Zimmer NexGen LPS knee replacements, alleging that they required revision surgery after the artificial replacement knee systems began to loosen or fail. 

The Zimmer NexGen LPS knee lawsuits were filed late last month in three different states by Angela Coleman, of Michigan, David R. Langevin, of Minnesota, and Barry Davis, of Kentucky.

All three complaints involved knee replacements with Zimmer NexGen Legacy Posterior Stabilized (LPS) parts, which use a “high-flex” femoral component.

The Zimmer NexGen LPS “high-flex” components are designed to allow a greater degree of flexion than the standard femoral component. However, plaintiffs allege that higher flexation places the knee replacement at a higher risk of loosening.

Plaintiffs indicate that the device maker created the image and impression that using the Zimmer NexGen knee was safe, despite knowledge of serious injuries associated with the components. Zimmer downplayed and understated the risk of problems with Zimmer NexGen LPS-Flex Gender Solutions, according to allegations raised in the complaints.

According to a study published by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (British Edition) in 2007, researchers found that 38% of individuals implanted with a Zimmer NexGen LPS-Flex total knee replacement reported loosening shortly after 2 years post implant, with more than half of those individuals requiring knee revision surgery due to pain.

A Zimmer NexGen LPS recall was issued in September 2010, involving certain high-flex femoral components that were found to have nonconforming and inconsistent geometry.

Over the past year, a growing number of patients throughout the United States have filed a Zimmer NexGen knee replacement lawsuit alleging that they experienced similar problems as a result of design defects associated with various components.

In March 2010, concerns were raised when Dr. Richard A. Berger, a former consultant for Zimmer, presented data that suggested problems with the Zimmer NexGen CR-Flex knee resulted in the need for revision surgery in nearly 9% of cases examined and caused knee replacement loosening in more than a third of cases.

Most of the complaints filed in recent months over the Zimmer knee replacements have been Zimmer NexGen CR-Flex lawsuits. However, it appears that momentum may now be growing for lawsuits involving other high-flex components by Zimmer.