Smith & Nephew Knee and Hip Implant Recall

In September 2003, Smith & Nephew, Inc., the orthopedics unit of Smith & Nephew PLC, announced that they would be stopping sales of cementless versions of its Oxinium Genesis II and Profix II knee implants.

Thursday September 18, 2003
Knee implant recall hits Smith & Nephew
By Geoff Gibbs
©2003, The Guardian (UK)
Smith & Nephew, the medical products concern that lost out in the $3bn (1.8bn) battle for Switzerland's Centerpulse, has suffered a further setback after deciding to withdraw a recently launched orthopaedic implant from the US market. The company said yesterday that it had stopped sales of the cementless versions of two of its knee systems because of a higher than expected number of follow-up operations.

The announcement came after 30 patients with Smith and Nephew knee implants required knee replacement surgeries to replace implants that failed to properly bond.

Increasing Rate of Revisions

Total Knee Replacement

At the time of the withdrawal in September 2003, Smith & Nephew commented that a 1% revision rate "is not unusual in this industry but higher than Smith & Nephew would normally see." Soon thereafter, the number of revision surgeries increased to 106, and continued to steadily increase throughout 2004. By February 2005, the company disclosed that 765 patients had been required to undergo revision surgery, representing 26% of the total Genesis and Profix knee implants that had been recalled.

Problems associated with the Smith & Nephew defective knees may include the following:

• Knee Pain
• Looseness of the femoral component
• Knee Revision
• Re-operations
• Risk of infection
• Joint and muscle problems
• Extensive rehabilitation

If you or a loved one has undergone knee replacement surgery where a Smith & Nephew product was used, you may be entitled to compensation for your pain and suffering and medical expenses. Click here to contact an attorney at Peterson & Associates, P.C. to discuss your legal rights at no cost or obligation.

Alternatively, you may call us toll-free at 1-800-305-7552. We also welcome inquiries from counsel considering referring a case.

About Peterson & Associates, P.C.

Peterson & Associates, P.C. is a premier, national plaintiffs law firm with a reputation for professional integrity and the efficient and responsible prosecution of our clients claims. We have years of experience representing our client in products liability and pharmaceutical claims.

Our attorneys are committed to providing superior service to our clients. We work closely with our clients throughout the litigation. Each client is assigned an individual attorney responsible for prosecuting his or her case. At the same time, our attorneys work as a team, drawing upon their combined knowledge, training and skills to provide our clients with decades of litigation experience. In addition to our lawyers, we have on staff nurses, scientific and medical analysts, investigators and legal assistants with years of experience in personal injury lawsuits.

Our attorneys represent plaintiffs all across America in cases involving dangerous or defective products, including residents of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

After accepting a personal injury case, we zealously pursue as favorable a settlement or recovery at trial for our clients as permitted under the laws of the appropriate jurisdictions. We are committed to bringing all of our considerable resources to bear to ensure justice for our clients.

Statutes of Limitation Notice

Persons seeking to preserve any potential legal claims for allegedly dangerous and/or defective products should contact an attorney promptly because all states have mandatory time periods (called "statutes of limitation") in which lawsuits must be filed. Failure to timely pursue your claim may mean that it would be forever barred. In some states, the statute of limitations period for filing personal injury claims is only one year from the date of injury.

Trademark Notice

"Genesis", "Profix", and "Smith & Nephew" are registered trademarks of Smith & Nephew, Inc. Peterson & Associates, P.C. is in no way affiliated with Smith & Nephew, Inc. or Smith & Nephew PLC, and all trademarks are used solely for informational purposes.