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DePuy Knee Replacement – General Information
For the past few decades, surgical outcomes involving total knee replacements have greatly improved. While past generations would often put off seeing a doctor for knee pain, today’s active adults find relief with total knee replacement surgery. There are numerous noninvasive treatments that are often exhausted prior to resorting to surgical intervention including physical therapy, medication to reduce pain and inflammation and using an assistive device (e.g., a cane).
Obesity also increases the risk of osteoarthritis in the knee because it increases pressure on the knee joint. Lack of physical activity can also create a loss of muscle that surrounds and protects the knee joint. Accordingly, many find relief through exercise and weight loss to help reduce symptoms of knee pain.
When surgical intervention becomes the only option, many find comfort in that total knee replacement surgeries have far more consistent outcomes thanks to new techniques, technology and materials. In fact, U.S. doctors now perform approximately 700,000 knee replacement surgeries each year.
Some interesting statistics concerning knee replacement surgeries include:
- Almost 9 out of 10 knee replacement surgeries are total knee replacements
- The majority of knee replacement surgeries are done in women
- 95% of patients today report that they are happy with their total knee replacement
- 90% of knee replacements last 10 years and 80% last 20 years with relatively few reported problems by patients
- Most knee replacement patients are up and walking within a few days after surgery
Problems with the DePuy Synthes Attune® Knee Replacement System
The DePuy knee replacement lawyers at Gomez Trial Attorneys are currently investigating cases where patients were implanted with the DePuy Synthes Attune® Knee System – a total knee replacement solution. Thus far, numerous cases of premature failure of the device have been reported to the FDA’s adverse event reporting system. Current clients report early failure of the device, sometimes within just months of their surgery.
The DePuy Synthes Attune® Knee System was first approved by the FDA in 2013 and continues to be implanted until today. The most common complaint our firm has encountered are patients who have a revision surgery where they were informed that the tibial plate loosened or was not properly fixated to the tibia. This, unfortunately, causes extreme pain, swelling and other complications that can result in the need for a revision surgery.
Recently, a study called “Unusually High Rate of Early Failure of Tibial Component in ATTUNE Total Knee Arthroplasty System at Implant-Cement Interface” was published in the Journal of Knee Surgery (Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.). The study followed 15 cases with an average age of 61 years for the patients. The patients all presented with pain when bearing weight and a decreased range of motion within 2 years after surgery.
X-rays and other radiologic studies only showed loosening of the tibial component in 2 of the 15 knees; however, surgical intervention showed loosening in ALL of the cases. Put differently, an x-ray or other radiologic study may not show whether your DePuy Synthes Attune® Knee System is actually loose and a surgeon may have to investigate through another surgery. As a result, all of the patients in the study had to undergo a revision surgery to address the issue.
How Our DePuy Knee Replacement Lawyers Can Help
John H. Gomez, the Principal of the firm, was one of the lead trial attorneys instrumental in securing an $8.3 million jury verdict against DePuy arising out of a defective hip implant. The verdict was ultimately upheld on appeal in 2016. All of our medical device attorneys have years of experience litigating cases involving defective implants. From intake through settlement or verdict, your interests will be well-represented throughout the entire process.
If you or a loved one are contemplating filing a lawsuit or simply have questions concerning your defective knee implant, please call our office today for a free consultation. It is important to contact an attorney early in the process for numerous reasons including, but not limited to:
- Every state has an applicable statute of limitations. This is the time frame within which you must file a lawsuit against a responsible third party such as a medical device manufacturer.
- If you have not yet undergone a revision surgery, our office can help properly secure the explanted device and preserve it as evidence for your case.
If you have a qualifying case that we are able to litigate, you may be entitled to compensation for your pain and suffering, emotional distress, lost wages and any out-of-pocket expenses that you may have incurred.
Should you have any questions, our staff and attorneys are happy to speak to you to discuss and advise you of your options. This consultation is free. Moreover, we represent people injured by defective medical devices on a contingency fee basis which means you do not pay anything unless you recover.
