Zimmer NexGen: Not So Easy on the Knees

The rapidly aging Baby Boomers are in some ways a contradiction in terms. Whereas with a previous generation advancing age meant retiring to the easy chair with a good book, today's retirees have little desire to slow down. And when their God-given joints give up before they do, it's a race to the orthopedic surgeon for new knees. Pity those who have been adversely affected by an allegedly defective medical device, prompting some in the health care community to lobby for a Zimmer knee replacement recall.

Specifically, the NexGen CR-Flex Porous Femoral component, which has been linked to a high failure rate. Some doctors have urged a recall of this particular product. Other products in the Zimmer NexGen family have been recalled. As recently as December of last year certain lots of the NexGen LPS Flex Gender system were recalled due to having a nonconforming internal CAM radius.

However, do patients with Zimmer knee implants necessarily know what kind of implant they have? Implants that have been recalled would be followed-up with patients having the affected implant. However, unless possessing prior knowledge of the type of implant they have, and without keeping up on the latest studies and media reports for such things, a patient experiencing pain from a NexGen CR-Flex Porous Femoral component may have little clue as to the potential cause, or implication.

One thing's for sure. The Baby Boom—the largest single demographic in the North American population—is beginning to hit retirement. And due to injury, arthritis or both, they are getting new knees by the truckload. This trend will continue unabated for at least a decade as the wave of Baby Boomers churn towards, and through retirement. Medical device manufacturers will be vying for market share as this potentially lucrative segment fuels an increasing demand for prosthetic knees.

The Zimmer NexGen system received approval by the US Food and Drug Administration in1994. Since then, three million of them have been implanted globally, with a half-million connected to US thighbones alone. But for the NexGen CR-Flex Porous Femoral component specifically, some Zimmer patients are experiencing pain and mobility issues that make mere walking a chore.

Remember, they were hoping Zimmer knee implants would not only help them walk, but allow them to keep active in their pursuits of choice—running, jogging, skiing. Eighty is the new sixty.

Unless, of course, you are a Zimmer patient affected by either the current Zimmer knee replacement recall involving various components of the Zimmer NexGen LPS Flex Gender, or a potential recall of the NexGen CR-Flex Porous Femoral component. In the meantime, walk softly and carry a big stick…