Oklahoma City Exactech Recall Attorneys

Injuries Caused by Defective Exactech Devices

In recent years, Exactech has recalled more than half a million of its joint implants and medical devices due to packaging issues. According to the company and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), many hip, knee, and ankle implants may be prone to deterioration after implantation due to a defect with the polyethylene liner used in the devices. If you have an Exactech medical device, you should talk to a doctor—and an attorney.

Fulmer Sill and our defective medical device lawyers in Oklahoma City are here to help anyone who has been injured by a recalled Exactech medical device or implant, or who needs to have the device replaced before it causes any harm. With our legal guidance, you can explore your options, which may include filing a claim or lawsuit against Exactech for selling a defective medical product. Even if your case needs to go to trial, our litigation team will be ready to help and lead the way.

Call (405) 433-7414 to schedule a free, confidential consultation about your Exactech lawsuit.

Reasons for the Exactech Medical Device Recalls

Exactech announced that it had discovered a serious issue with the polyethylene liners and product packaging that was used in more than 500,000 of its joint replacement devices. Due to an issue with the vacuum bags used in packaging, the polyethylene liners may start to oxidize during shipment and storage. Once the affected Exactech device is implanted, the oxidation can cause the implant to fail.

The majority of the affected medical devices were various types of knee implants. Also, some of the affected implants were first manufactured as far back as 2004. Near-countless patients might be affected by the Exactech recall, and just as many might have a chance to use legal action to pursue justice and compensation.

Dangers of Recalled Exactech Implants

A defective or oxidized Exactech knee, hip, or ankle implant can pose serious risks of injury to patients. If you have an Exactech implant that has been flagged for recall, please know that it could already be causing harm to you, even if it is not apparent.

Common problems and health risks with recalled Exactech medical devices include:

• Higher risk of bone loss or osteolysis
• Soft tissue damage around the implant
• Mobility issues if the implant fails
• High risk of revision surgery and its risks

Most of the Exactech implants that became defective due to oxidation caused by a packaging issue failed within 5 years of implantation. Typically, a joint replacement implant is expected to last at least 15 years. Furthermore, even if you have had an Exactech implant for more than 5 years with seemingly no issue, it doesn’t automatically mean that it isn’t defective.

Was Your Exactech Medical Device Recalled?

Recalled Exactech medical devices and implants include:

• Hips: Novation; AcuMatch; MCS
• Knees: Optetrak Logic; Truliant; Arthrofocus
• Ankles: Vantage

To see if your Exactech medical device was recalled, you can click here to visit the official Exactech website and use its recall serial number checker. By entering the full serial number of your medical device, you can see if it has been marked for recall. If you don’t know the serial number, you will need to speak with your medical provider, which should have kept the serial number in your medical record.

Signs of Exactech Medical Device Failure

Not all defective Exactech medical devices cause obvious outward symptoms. In some cases, the first signs of a defect are subtle. You might have already experienced some of these signs and thought they indicated another problem.

Symptoms or signs that an Exactech hip, knee, or ankle implant has failed or is failing include:

• Clicking or grinding noise from the affected joint
• Inability to put weight on the affected joint
• Instability while walking or standing
• Pain while walking, standing, or lying down
• Swelling in the affected joint
• Diagnosis of osteolysis around the affected joint

What to Do If Your Exactech Was Recalled

If you know you have an Exactech medical device or joint replacement implant, you should talk to your medical provider as soon as possible. Only a medical expert can provide advice about when to replace the implant or if it is medically necessary. Your doctor may suggest that you reach out to Exactech to discuss reimbursement for your losses—but this is not recommended.

Instead of talking to Exactech, talk to Fulmer Sill after you talk to your medical provider. We can evaluate the situation and let you know your options to file a claim in pursuit of various damages.

Your Exactech recall claim might be able to demand damages related to:

• Past and future medical treatment costs
• Past and future lost wages and income
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of independence
• Lessened enjoyment of life
• And other harm and losses

When you hire us to work on your Exactech joint replacement defect claim, we will be on your side, act on your behalf, and work to uphold your best interests. On the other hand, if you try to deal with Exactech directly, the company will stand against you, act only for itself, and do what it can to protect its profits, which will namely mean offering you the smallest amount of compensation or benefits possible. Don’t trust the company that may have hurt you due to negligent medical product design to try to help you now.