Knee replacement failures could affect more than 10,000 people in the UK

The Telegraph has reported that more than 10,000 people have been given a faulty knee replacement, doubling their risk of joint failure.

The knee replacement is called NexGen and is part of a family of Zimmer Biomet implant devices which has 88 different combinations. This NexGen implant was withdrawn from the market in October and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is preparing to issue a ban on the implant which has been in use for almost two decades.

The article notes two combinations of the NexGen implant in particular that have been identified as putting patients at a dangerously high risk of joint failure. The implants with the most concerning risk are:

• LPS Flex Femoral implant with 'option' cemented Tibia
• LPS GSF Flex Femoral implant with 'option' cemented Tibia

These two implants in particular have been given to at least 10,420 people in the UK. The National Joint Registry have said that 350 people will need a second operation within 10 years due to aseptic loosing. The implant has been found to fail in up to 7% of patients after 10 years, which is twice the accepted failure rate of 3.5% set by the National Joint Registry.

This can have catastrophic consequences for patients and their families. It is likely to only be the tip of the iceberg as patients who received these implants will likely continue to experience problems for years to come.

Freeths LLP have vast experience in claims arising from the substandard surgical and orthopaedic procedures, including group and multi-party actions. If you are concerned about the care that you or a loved one have received, you are welcome to contact our Clinical Negligence team.