Patient Scheduled for Fourth Zimmer NexGen Knee Surgery

Waynesville, NC"From day one, I've had nothing but trouble with this Zimmer NexGen knee replacement," says Minnie, who is scheduled for a fourth surgery next week.

"My initial surgery back in September 2009 seemed to be successful and I followed up with physical therapy, but as soon as I went back to work, I had constant pain and my knee was always swollen," Minnie explains. "I could feel the bone where the metal sits every time I walked upstairs—sideways."

The Zimmer Web site promotes its NexGen knee by stating that "the simple problems of normal flexion, that provide the ability to walk, sit or climb stairs with minimal difficulty…and those activities that require bending deeply at the knee can be addressed." Minnie's ability to climb stairs has worsened since she had the knee replacement. And because she was unable to perform her job as department manager (she works in retail), she was demoted to cashier.

"I finally went back to my orthopedic surgeon this past January and had x-rays taken" she says. "He saw a lot of fluid on my knee and said it was because my NexGen knee wasn't fitting to the bone like it should and I had to get a revision surgery.

"The first surgery was the NexGen knee implant. The second surgery was because the knee cap was not staying in place, so my surgeon reopened my knee and replaced something so my kneecap wouldn't move. In March of this year, he replaced the top part of the knee implant because it was loose. My surgeon told me (the next morning after the third surgery) that he pulled the knee implant to see how loose it was and it popped right out.

"Now I am scheduled for my fourth surgery on the same knee next week and had my pre-op yesterday. This fourth time, the bottom part of the metal knee is being replaced because it was shifting after I fell while I was in the hospital. I was in the bathroom, and when I stood up, my knee collapsed and I went down…

"I haven't talked to my surgeon about whether or not this NexGen knee is defective. Every time I see him I'm in and out of his office because he is so busy, but this time I am going to ask him why I've had so many surgeries and if this is indeed a defective knee.

"My husband said you need to get a lawyer, because this is ridiculous. I saw an ad on TV about the NexGen knee replacement while sitting in my doctor's office—isn't that ironic! I know it hasn't been recalled—yet—but I heard that a lawsuit can be filed regardless."

Minnie is right; she doesn't have to wait for the Zimmer NexGen knee to be recalled, even though the momentum is growing for a NexGen CR-Flex recall. In September 2010, Zimmer recalled 350 components of its NexGen LPS-Flex knee replacement. Dr. Richard Berger, a former Zimmer consultant, described the knee replacement as having "nonconforming and inconsistent geometry."

Furthermore, a number of knee surgeons presented data at a recent conference of The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. They said the rate of failure for some Zimmer NexGen knee replacement systems are "unacceptably high," and many knee replacement patients have experienced loosening with the Zimmer NexGen CR-Flex Porous Femoral implant and needing revision surgery within a few years of their initial surgery. Minnie is just one of those patients.