Total Knee Arthroplasty (Total Knee Replacement)

Total knee arthroplasty, commonly called total knee replacement, is surgery to replace the worn or damaged surfaces of the knee. The surgeon caps the ends of the thigh bone and shin bone with metal components and places a plastic (polyethylene) insert between them to act as cartilage. It is most often done for severe osteoarthritis and usually relieves pain for many years.

Knee implants can fail early because of loosening, infection, instability, or wear of the plastic insert. When failures trace back to a defect in the implant, lawsuits follow. The best recent example involves Exactech. The FDA reported that many Exactech knee, ankle, and hip devices made between 2004 and August 2021 were packaged in defective bags missing an oxygen barrier layer, which could let the plastic oxidize and lead to accelerated wear, cracking, and revision surgery. Exactech recalled the affected devices in 2021 and 2022.

The FDA has said it does not recommend surgery to remove a well-functioning Exactech device in patients with no pain or symptoms. Patients with symptoms such as new pain, swelling, instability, grinding, or trouble walking should contact their surgeon.

Knee implant claims usually depend on the implant's make and model, which appear on the implant card and operative report, and on records from any revision surgery, including what happened to the removed parts. If you have a revision, ask that the removed implant be preserved. See our guides on recalls versus class actions and multidistrict litigation.