Exactech Replacement Lawsuits
Plaintiffs in Exactech replacement lawsuits are seeking compensation for injuries due to defective implants in Exactech’s knee, ankle, and hip replacements.
Exactech is a famed manufacturer of medical devices used in joint replacements. It also produces surgical equipment and technologies that facilitate orthopedic surgeries like joint arthroscopy.
Joint arthroscopy is a procedure that doctors use in observing, diagnosing, and treating problems inside a joint. It’s a minor surgery for inflamed, injured, or damaged joints.
Exactech Replacement Lawsuits
Plaintiffs in Exactech replacement lawsuits are seeking compensation for injuries due to defective implants in Exactech’s knee, ankle, and hip replacements.
Exactech is a famed manufacturer of medical devices used in joint replacements. It also produces surgical equipment and technologies that facilitate orthopedic surgeries like joint arthroscopy.
Joint arthroscopy is a procedure that doctors use in observing, diagnosing, and treating problems inside a joint. It’s a minor surgery for inflamed, injured, or damaged joints. These surgeries reduce joint pains, restore mobility, and improve a patient’s overall quality of life.
Arthroscopies procedures have a decent success rate of at least 90% after ten years, attributable to the expertise of performing surgeons and quality of joint replacement implants.
Without quality implants, the success rates of these procedures diminish, leading to severe side effects and the need for further surgeries.
In August 2021, Exactech issued a recall for all its knee replacement implant systems manufactured after 2004 due to a packaging anomaly that caused much oxygen to enter the plastic inserts, resulting in early degradation.
This recall was an FDA class II, meaning that using the defective product could lead to temporary or reversible medical consequences.
An estimated 147,000 potentially defective implants have been used in surgeries, so thousands of people may be at risk of complications due to failed medical devices. In February 2022, the company expanded its recall to include all its knee and ankle arthroplasty polyethylene implants.
If you’ve had knee replacement surgery with an Exactech implant in the last ten years, you may be eligible to file a product liability lawsuit and get financial compensation for medical expenses, economic losses, and pain and suffering due to the implant failure.
You can contact an Exactech recall attorney to know more about your legal options if you’ve been affected by this recall.
What Are Exactech Lawsuits?
Exactech lawsuits are claims involving plaintiffs who have suffered injuries from using recently recalled Exactech products.
People affected by defective implants want monetary compensation for their medical bills and associated expenses from using the products.
Some spouses may file for loss of companionship. In a trial, jurors may also award punitive damages against the manufacturer to discourage future negligence from other implant producers.
This lawsuit’s defendant, Exactech, Inc., has offered to settle all expenses related to their product recall for affected individuals who file through the company.
Opting for this means you’ll be reimbursed any money you spend on your treatment. You should also consult an attorney before choosing this option to understand how it can affect your future claims.
Exactech Knee Implants
Optetrak, Exactech’s proprietary knee implant system, was introduced in 1994, and the company has since created other devices and inserts for knee replacement procedures.
These implants help to reduce arthritis-related pain and may also correct minor deformities and knee trauma.
Optetrak implants are used in total knee arthroplasty (TKA), a procedure where a surgeon makes an incision over the knee and prepares the femur by removing diseased bone.
A hole is drilled for the implant’s femoral component, which is then fixed in place with surgical cement. The surgeon repeats the same preparation on the proximal tibia — the upper part of the shinbone just below the knee — and implants the Optetrak’s tibial tray using surgical cement.
After the tibial tray components and femoral implants are in place, a polyethylene tibial insert is implanted to absorb friction between these two components during movement.
Increasing reports against Exactech implants led to several product lawsuits by patients who had to deal with the effects of implant failures. The lawsuits claim that the high failure rates in the systems were due to design flaws, including the unique finned design employed in the original Optetrak system.
In response to these lawsuits, Exactech initiated a silent recall, removing the initial finned design without any announcements.
However, changing the implant’s structure did nothing to alter Optetrak’s high failure rates.
Exactech eventually discovered that the flaw was due to faulty vacuum-seal packing, which caused premature degradation and malfunctioning of the polyethylene inserts.
These failures impact patients severely, with many enduring pain, inflammation, and lack of mobility. Patients who experience these symptoms often require another surgery (corrective revision) to replace the defective implant.
Exactech began a nationwide recall of its defective implants in 2021. This notice covers about 147,000 implants used in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) to correct deformities and treat arthritis-associated knee pain.
- THIS IS AN ACTIVE LAWSUIT
Optetrak Knee Implant Problems
The Optetrak knee implant system was successful in the first decade after its launch, even though it was not subjected to a thorough FDA review and approval.
The product was approved under the FDA’s 501(k) clearance process, which doesn’t require companies to provide safety effectiveness data from clinical trials.
The implant system has had abnormally high failure rates — 16% within the first three years compared to 2.5% in other brands.
The poor results of Optetrak implants have been noted in several publications, with experts pointing to a flaw in its design.
Exactech wasn’t unaware of the complaints about its implant system, with reports of revision due to aseptic loosening, polyethylene wear, and loose tibial component.
Main Effects of Degraded Exactech Implants
The major side effects of degraded Exatech implants, include:
- Cracking
- Accelerated debris
- Fracture
- Bone loss
- Pain
Patients with a defective Exactech Connexion GXL hip replacement liner may experience earlier linear and volumetric wear.
The company hasn’t recalled this product, but intends to phase it out.
Joint Replacement Failure Due to Exactech Implant Failure
Joint replacement failure occurs when the implant’s polyethylene fragments enter into the tissue. This entry causes inflammation, infections, or osteolysis — progressive degeneration of the bones — which presents no symptoms until the damage has been done.
In total joint replacement failure, osteolysis causes failure of the prosthetic implant.
Joint replacement failure is shattering for many patients as it’s accompanied by debilitating pain, decreased mobility, and a higher risk of falls. Patients who experience joint replacement failure will typically require corrective revision surgery, a complex procedure meant to compensate for a failed implant.
Unfortunately, many people who require arthroscopy are elderly and may not be fit for revision surgery. In some other cases, the symptoms of a failed implant may manifest after severe bone destruction or after the infections are at an advanced stage, making amputation above the knee the only viable alternative.
- THIS IS AN ACTIVE LAWSUIT
Exactech Agrees to the Class Action
Exactech has also agreed to a class action lawsuit. In August 2002, the company’s lawyers filed a motion with the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) to create a new class action lawsuit.
All recall lawsuits in federal courts across the country will be consolidated into a single Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) in the Eastern District of New York.
This agreement means that a New York judge will oversee all cases involving Exactech implants as one. Wherever you are in the United States, your “pretrial discovery case” will be held in New York.
Your case will be remanded to your home state for trial if the MDL does not lead to a settlement agreement.
Exactech has retained the professional services of Broadspire, a third-party administrator, to manage the claims reimbursement process.
They’ll reimburse clients for the money already spent on implants and treatment but will not cover the cost of future care or lost wages.
Patients can file a reimbursement claim through the Broadspire-Exactech helpline. However, you should be aware that Broadspire represents Exactech’s interests and you may be waiving your rights to legally file a lawsuit against the company for the recalled implants.
Patients who file reimbursement claims to Exactech will receive less settlement than they would’ve gotten if they effected a product liability lawsuit in a civil court.
Nothing is guaranteed in a lawsuit, but Exactech recall lawyers are certain there’ll be settlement agreements before the cases get to trial.
What Do You Do If Your Implants Have Been Recalled?
If your implants have been recalled, the first thing you must do is contact your doctor to observe your implant for signs of bone wear or degradation.
There may be no signs or symptoms of degradation or osteolysis in the early stages.
However, affected persons have two alternatives, filing a claim with the company or filing a lawsuit. It’s crucial to contact a lawyer as quickly as possible for a case review.
Most attorneys will review a product liability case for free and only get paid when you receive compensation. You may need to produce your health records and other helpful Exactech information when you meet with your attorney.
Expect to answer questions about your injuries and experiences you’ve had throughout the period of using the implant.
Many patients who undergo implant procedures have no idea what brand of implants they have.
If you’ve had joint replacement surgery but aren’t sure whether what you have is a Exactech product, you need to contact your orthopedic surgeon or request the records of your surgery to determine the implant brand embedded in your body.
Exactech Settlement and Verdicts
No settlements or verdicts have been made in the existing Exactech replacement lawsuits. It’s still early days in the case, and product liability attorneys are still accepting and reviewing cases.
Exactech has previously been embroiled in litigation over its joint replacement devices. In 2017, a man from Alabama, Marcus Talley, accused Exactech of selling a defective knee replacement implant while aware of the product’s high failure rates.
He alleged that the company stealthily recalled the “finned” tibial tray components from the market and replaced them with a sturdier “fit” tibial tray design.
The US federal government sued the manufacturer for dubious business practices, including paying kickbacks to orthopedic surgeons to recommend its implants. In 2010, Exactech agreed to a $2.99 million settlement, which included a government monitoring agreement.
In 2020, three former employees under the False Claims Act alleged that Exactech knowingly supplied defective knee replacement devices to Medicaid, Medicare, and the Department of Veteran Affairs beneficiaries.
The whistleblowers claim that the company investigated the defective products and took deliberate steps to conceal their findings.
Exactech is also accused of paying kickbacks to an orthopedic doctor to continue purchasing the defective implants after the doctor had complained about the products.
A Court in the Northern District of Alabama has denied Exactech’s motion to dismiss the suit.
How Much Can Exactech Plaintiffs Expect to Receive?
Determining settlement values in a class action is often tricky. Lawyers typically consider past verdicts and settlements to make an informed settlement estimate. Past litigations can serve as reliable pointers to an expected settlement amount.
Lawyers also consider personal factors like the injury’s severity and associated complications when making settlement projections.
Currently, there are no reported settlement amounts in Exactech recall cases.
Still, plaintiffs can expect to get settlements hovering around $130,000 to $200,000 for knee replacement suits, and higher for ankle and hip replacement suits. Past awards aren’t a guarantee of future settlements, but Exactech recall attorneys will work doggedly to get their clients the best possible payouts.
Who Qualifies for an Exactech Lawsuit?
You’re eligible to file a case if you have been implanted with any of these Exactech implants between 2004 and 2022:
- Optetrak Knee
- Truliant Knee
- Optetrak Logic Knee
- Vantage Ankle
- Novation Hip
- MCS Hip
- Acumatch Hip
Having complications from using Connexion GXL hip replacement liner will also qualify you for a lawsuit.
If you’ve been impacted by Exactech’s recall or have complications from using the Connexion GXL liner, you should consult a product liability lawyer to review your case and advise you of your subsequent legal steps.
File an Exactech Recall Lawsuit and Get What's Rightfully Yours
Exactech recall lawsuits are being filed throughout the country. Product recall lawyers are taking on cases and preparing for the mass tort litigation against Exactech. You’re eligible for this lawsuit if you have been affected by any of the company’s defective implants.
Get in touch with a lawyer for legal consultations and a free case review. Attorneys will take up your case at for free and will get paid after you receive your settlement.
On This Page
- Exactech Replacement Lawsuits
- What Are Exactech Lawsuits?
- Exactech Knee Implants
- Optetrak Knee Implant Problems
- Main Effects of Degraded Exactech Implants
- Joint Replacement Failure Due to Exactech Implant Failure
- Exactech Agrees to the Class Action
- What Do You Do If Your Implants Have Been Recalled?
- Exactech Settlement and Verdicts
- How Much Can Exactech Plaintiffs Expect to Receive?
- Who Qualifies for an Exactech Lawsuit?
- File an Exactech Recall Lawsuit and Get What's Rightfully Yours
This is an active lawsuit.
Individuals affected by this particular product or chemical are currently filing lawsuits.