Zimmer Knee Revision Surgery

Zimmer NexGen CR-Flex knee replacement failure may require patients to undergo a second knee revision surgery to correct problems associated with the first implant.  According to a recent report (“The High Failure of Rate of a High Flex Total Knee Arthroplasty”) presented at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, knee revision surgery became necessary in 8.3% of 108 observed patients, while another 1% were awaiting revision surgery. Due to this rate of Zimmer NexGen CR-Flex Knee failure, the number of Zimmer knee revision surgery procedures continues to escalate.

Knee revision surgery is a subsequent surgery in which a patient’s defective knee implant is removed and replaced with a new device. The surgery presents all of the risk associated with any surgery and is compounded by added difficulties such as bone damage caused by implantation and removal of the first device. The cost is typically greater, the rehabilitation is generally longer, and the spirit of the patient can be significantly lower- thereby slowing down the patient’s long road to recovery. Zimmer knee revision surgery may ultimately correct the patient’s problem, but the path is an arduous one.

As observed by the author of the above referenced report, recipients of the Zimmer NexGen CR-Flex implant state a wide range of complications such as loosening of implant, intense pain in the area of the knee, and even total knee failure. Richard A. Berger, lead author, was quoted as saying that the Zimmer knee failure rate was “unacceptably high.” Dr. Berger is one of the surgeons, along with Dr. Della Valle who presented the findings at the 2010 national meeting of the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons.

In response, Zimmer has consistently pointed at surgical procedure and technique as the cause behind Zimmer knee failure and the need for subsequent revisions for this high flex model.