Understanding the Symptoms of Attune Knee Implant Failure
Marketing and advertising tout the Attune Knee System, made by Johnson & Johnson subsidiary DePuy, as having patented technologies that improve the stability and range of motion of the device. Unfortunately, hundreds of reports of malfunctions, injuries, premature failures, and risky revision surgeries have been reported, and patients are demanding answers. Patients who sustained injuries, including having to have additional surgeries due to device failures can speak with a Depuy Attune knee replacement lawyer at our office to learn more about the options that may be available to them.
Device Loosening, Instability, and Disbonding Reported
At least 500 reports of malfunctions and failures have been filed with the FDA’s Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience database since the start of 2018, and hundreds more were filed in the preceding year, including reports of cracked and broken device components, device loosening issues, bone fractures, instability, disbonding, pain, and revision surgeries.
In fact, not only have patients had to undergo complex, unplanned surgeries to have the device removed, some patients were reportedly forced to have more than one revision surgery on the same knee. Even worse, some of these patients had to have the device removed within just 24 months of implantation.
About Knee Replacement Surgery
When you have a knee replaced, you can expect your surgery to take two or three hours, followed by rehabilitation therapy that will begin within a day or two of implantation. Though this therapy is typically uncomfortable, it will help strengthen and repair the tendons and muscles that were cut during the operation and improve how well you can move and use the knee.
Your physician will restrict your activities during recovery, but physical therapy and rehabilitation will continue for four to six weeks. It may be months before your knee feels stable and strong, but you should experience continuing improvement for up to the first year. Keep in mind that even after you have recovered, your activities may still be limited to low-impact sports and recreation, such as swimming, biking, and walking.
Typically, an artificial knee should last between 10 and 20 years, but reports show that the Attune knee can fail within two years of being implanted and force patients who have just recently finished healing back into surgery for invasive and complex revision surgery to repair or replace the device. Sadly, some patients have had to have multiple revision surgeries on the same knee.
If you have received an Attune Knee System implant, you should be aware of signs that your device may have malfunctioned or otherwise failed including signs such as:
- Painful throbbing when you move your knee
- Muscle or nerve damage in or around the knee
- Knee instability that results in your knee shifting backwards or to the side when you stand on it
- Redness, swelling and inflammation of the joint
- Device loosening or dislocation
- Leg bone fractures
- Infection around the implant
- Decreased range of motion
We Can Help
If you received the Attune knee only to experience a device malfunction or premature failure, you should speak to your physician about having the artificial joint assessed, and then call us. Our attorneys have been helping patients protect their rights and receive the maximum compensation available for the damages they sustain, and we can help you too. Contact us now to learn more about what we can do to help you and whether you are entitled to financial compensation.
