Patients Sue B. Braun Subsidiary Aesculap Implant Systems for Defective Knee Replacements
B. Braun’s subsidiary Aesculap Implant Systems concealed problems with its line of artificial knees and promoted the products to doctors and surgeons despite knowing about their defects and chance of failure. As a result, a couple dozen patients who have had knee replacements are suing B. Braun and Aesculap.
Aesculap Implant Systems has marketed the ceramic-coated artificial knees as higher-quality than standard bare metal implants, claiming they would last much longer. Unfortunately, the ceramic joints in the artificial knees were defective because the cement used to bond them with patient’s bones didn’t attach properly. The advanced surface joints’ ceramic coating caused moisture to collect between the implants and the bone cement used to connect them. As a result, the implants loosened and failed prematurely. The 25 plaintiffs who received defective Aesculap artificial knees have undergone or will undergo additional surgeries to fix problems with the joints, according to the suit.
According to the lawsuit, Aesculap received permission from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to sell the defected replacement knees by showing that they were as safe and effective as devices that had already been approved. This bypassed the FDA’s more rigorous standard medical device approval process.
Instead of taking blame for the defective knees, B. Braun and Aesculap blamed the failures on the brand of the bone cement, the use of the cement containing antibiotics, and the surgeons’ cementing techniques. The suit claims both companies concealed the scope of the problem from health professionals, sales people and the FDA. It also alleges they failed to properly test the knees before putting them on the market.
If you or someone you know is suffering after a defective Aesculap knee replacement, please contact our dangerous medical devices lawyers at the Johnston Law Group. You may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Call (844) 464-0062 or contact us online for a free consultation.