As reports of failures with DePuy Synthes Attune knee replacement grow, there is increasing evidence the device is defective and harming patients.
Many, if not the majority, reports of failure in the Synthes Attune knee have been reported as tibial baseplate failure or debonding. Essentially, it simply means that the implanted artificial knee has come unglued from the patient’s lower leg. I have received reports from orthopedic surgeons who informed me that it’s normal when doing revisions that much of the cement used in implanting the device is still stuck to the baseplate when it’s removed – having maintained its adherence. During revisions on the Synthes Attune, surgeons have been amazed that the devices baseplate comes out clean almost as if the glue never adhered at all. They report that the baseplates removed in Synthes Attune revisions were completely clean and looked brand new, like there had never been any bond to begin with.
This is troubling on many levels. Patients with the Synthes Attune knee system often experience unusual swelling, instability and loosening, decreased motion, persistent pain and these symptoms often precede knee destabilization and dislocation. Failure of the DePuy devices, which are advertised to last 10-15 years, is sometimes occurring only months after patients receive their implant. After the device fails, patients are forced to undergo a painful and costly revision surgery to remove the implant and replace it.
There have already been journal articles citing the high number of premature failures and other problems with the Synthes Attune. A close at look the FDA’s Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database shows almost two-dozen reports of tibial loosening at the implant–cement interface.
Recently the first DePuy Synthes Attune knee lawsuit alleging premature failure of the knee replacement system was filed in Mobile, Alabama and I expect many more to follow. DePuy, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, is no stranger to medical device lawsuits. The company’s A.S.R. and Pinnacle metal-on-metal hip joints were part of the largest medical device recall in history.
If you or a loved one has suffered complications from a DePuy’s Synthes Attune Knee Replacement System, please do not hesitate to contact Saunders & Walker for a free consultation. As failures escalate we will be available to answer any questions and provide you with important information about your Synthes Attune knee implant.