Zimmer NexGen knee patients who needed a second surgery after their implant came loose have sued Zimmer Biomet, once known simply as Zimmer, since 2011. The claims say the design was flawed and the warnings were not enough.
Hundreds of cases were joined into one federal case, MDL No. 2272, in the Northern District of Illinois. One early test case, Joas v. Zimmer, ended in a ruling for Zimmer. After that, the case reached a settlement in principle.
As of September 2026, that deal has closed nearly all of the joined cases. The case no longer shows up on the courts' list of open multi-case suits. A related 2022 device recall covers some NexGen parts still in stock.
Lawsuit at a glance
- Case or litigation name: In Re: Zimmer NexGen Knee Implant Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2272
- Defendants: Zimmer, Inc. and Zimmer Holdings, Inc.; now part of Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
- Court and docket number, when available: N.D. Illinois, Master Docket No. 1:11-cv-05468 (docket minute-entry log)
- MDL number, judge, and case count, when an MDL exists: MDL No. 2272, N.D. Illinois, Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer, formed August 8, 2011
- Filing date: MDL transfer order dated August 8, 2011; individual cases filed 2011-2013
- Main allegations: Defective design, defective manufacture and failure to warn, centered on premature loosening of the NexGen high-flex knee components
- Products or people involved: Patients with Zimmer NexGen high-flex/cementless knee components, including the LPS-Flex, LPS-Flex GSF and Stemmed Option Tibial Components named in the 2022 recall
Latest Zimmer NexGen Knee Lawsuit Updates
December 6, 2022: Zimmer Biomet Recalls Some NexGen Tibial Components
Zimmer Biomet issued an Urgent Medical Device Recall for Zimmer NexGen Stemmed Option Tibial Components. These paired with LPS Flex or LPS Flex GSF parts, citing higher revision-rate data from a UK registry [1].
The recalled parts were sold between October 2012 and October 2022. The notice covered stock not yet implanted. It asked surgeons to watch patients who already got that pairing.
March 8, 2018: Seventh Circuit Affirms Zimmer's Win in the Joas Appeal
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for Zimmer in the Joas appeal. The ruling upheld the district court's 2016 decision below in the same case, Theodore Joas v. Zimmer, Incorporated [2].
Applying Wisconsin law in the appeal, No. 16-3957, the court said Zimmer's warnings to the surgeon were enough. It threw out the failure-to-warn claim under the learned-intermediary rule.
February 14, 2018: Zimmer and Plaintiffs Reach a Settlement in Principle
Zimmer and the plaintiffs in MDL No. 2272 told the judge that week they had reached a deal in principle. The goal was to end nearly seven years of litigation, Law360 reported [3].
The terms stayed private. The docket, which had grown past 600 cases since 2012, remained unresolved. The deal did not close every one of them right away.
October 21, 2016: Second Bellwether Case Ends in Summary Judgment for Zimmer
Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer ruled for Zimmer on summary judgment. The order came in Joas v. Zimmer, the MDL's second test case, after she limited the plaintiff's expert testimony on causation [4].
The 43-page order found the plaintiff lacked enough proof for a jury to rule his way. Zimmer's first test case, Batty v. Zimmer, had already brought early rulings in the same MDL in 2015.
August 8, 2011: Panel Forms MDL No. 2272 in Chicago
The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred 18 civil actions to the Northern District of Illinois. This formed MDL No. 2272, In Re: Zimmer NexGen Knee Implant Products Liability Litigation [5].
The cases went to Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer. Filings kept coming: a September 2012 order added 607 more NexGen cases to the original 18, growing the joined docket by a wide margin.
What Is the NexGen Complete Knee Solution?
The NexGen Complete Knee Solution is a "system of semiconstrained, nonlinked condylar knee prostheses," an FDA filing states [6]. It treats bad knee pain from arthritis, joint damage, or an earlier surgery that failed.
This page's lawsuits and the 2022 recall involve a smaller group. They cover specific high-flex and cementless versions within Zimmer Biomet's much larger NexGen product line.
Who May Be Affected?
People who got a Zimmer NexGen high-flex or cementless knee replacement may be affected. This is especially true for anyone whose Stemmed Option Tibial part was combined with an LPS-Flex or LPS-Flex GSF piece.
The 2022 recall names parts that were on the market for a full decade before it. The wider lawsuit, though, covered NexGen implants used well before that window, with individual cases filed from 2011 to 2013.
Patients in this group often feel new or worse pain after feeling well, along with swelling. Both symptoms can start months or years after the first surgery, and some needed a second surgery to replace the loose part.
The federal case settled quietly, and most claims closed by 2019. Whether any option is left for one patient depends on an individual legal review of their own facts and their state's deadline rules.
Reported Injuries or Damages
Plaintiffs in the NexGen case said their implant came loose too soon, a problem doctors call aseptic loosening. This caused pain and loss of movement, and it often meant a second surgery.
Complaints said this wear was not normal for a knee replacement. Instead, they tied it to the high-flex part's own design.
A 2022 study in Bone & Joint Open tracked 352 NexGen knee replacements at one hospital [7]. It found an all-cause revision rate of 17.6% within five years.
Separately, 16.7% of the full group of knees, nearly all of the revisions performed, were for loose tibial parts specifically.
The same study found the average time to a second surgery was about 44 months. Patients often felt pain when bearing weight after a pain-free stretch, along with knee swelling.
Recall and Regulatory Background
Zimmer Biomet's safety notice, ZFA 2022-00240, covers one tibial-and-femoral pairing. UK registry data linked that pairing to a higher rate of second surgeries. The parts reached hospitals and sellers over a full decade, from late 2012 to late 2022.
Zimmer Biomet told surgeons to pull leftover stock. It did not recall knees already placed in patients. A completed recall like this does not by itself prove an earlier implant was bad.
Evidence to Preserve
Records tied to a Zimmer NexGen knee claim get hard to find once time passes. Anyone who thinks their implant may fit this case should keep:
- The implant card or surgical record that shows the part's model, size, and lot or serial number, since these name the exact device used
- Hospital and surgeon records for both the first surgery and any later repair surgery, including notes on why the repair was needed
- Photos of the surgery site or of the device itself, if a surgeon or hospital kept it after it came out
- Medical records that show pain, imaging results, and the stated reason for any later repair surgery
- Letters or messages with the surgeon, hospital, or Zimmer Biomet about the implant, including any complaint filed
- Pay stubs or work records, if lost income from surgery or recovery time is part of a claim
Keeping these records together makes it easier for a lawyer to check if a specific NexGen implant and its timeline fit this case.
Filing Deadlines
Deadlines to file a Zimmer NexGen product-liability claim come from state law. There is no single nationwide rule, and a deadline can be easy to miss.
They depend on where the patient lives and when the loosening, revision surgery, or diagnosis happened. Some states start the clock at diagnosis rather than the date of the original surgery.
Missing a deadline can end a claim even when the medical facts are strong, so anyone considering a claim about a Zimmer NexGen knee should check with a lawyer promptly.
Potential Compensation
The Zimmer NexGen case involved claims of a bad design, negligence, and a failure to warn. It reached a private settlement in principle in 2018.
Where a claim still stands, this kind of case can cover certain costs. These can include medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. What applies depends on the facts and on any deal or verdict reached.
Compensation amounts vary by case. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. The categories above are only examples of potential compensation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Zimmer NexGen Knee Lawsuits Still Active?
Zimmer NexGen knee lawsuits are not still active as a multidistrict case. The MDL settled quietly in 2018. A federal court report dated July 16, 2019 was the last to list it as active. Individual deadlines still depend on state law.
How Much Is the Zimmer NexGen Knee Lawsuit Settlement Worth?
The Zimmer NexGen knee lawsuit settlement amount was never made public. Court and news reports describe only a confidential settlement in principle reached in February 2018. Even the earliest FDA filing for this knee system, dated October 12, 2004, says nothing about later litigation payouts.
Can I Still Join the Zimmer NexGen Knee Lawsuits?
Whether you can still join the Zimmer NexGen knee lawsuits depends on your state's deadline rules and your diagnosis date. The original 2011 transfer order is published at 802 F.Supp.2d 1374, but that federal MDL track has closed, so a new claim proceeds under state law.
How Do I Know If My Knee Replacement Is a Recalled Zimmer NexGen Model?
To know if your knee replacement is a recalled Zimmer NexGen model, check your implant card or surgical record. Look for the Stemmed Option Tibial Component and femoral pairing named in the December 2022 recall notice above. You can also ask your surgeon or Zimmer Biomet.
What Does Research Show About Zimmer NexGen Knee Failures?
Research on Zimmer NexGen knee failures centers on a 2022 Bone & Joint Open study, a single-surgeon review of 352 knee replacements performed between April 2013 and January 2016. Its authors concluded the implant carries a fundamental design issue behind the loosening pattern they found.
When Did the Seventh Circuit Hear the Zimmer NexGen Appeal?
The Seventh Circuit heard oral argument in the Zimmer NexGen appeal, Joas v. Zimmer, on May 22, 2017, about ten months before it affirmed summary judgment for Zimmer on March 8, 2018. The panel's written opinion is a public court record.
References
- https://www.zimmerbiomet.com/content/dam/zb-corporate/en/products/specialties/knee/nexgen-complete-knee-solution/zfa_2022-00240_risk-manager-and-surgeon-letter.pdf
- https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-ca7-16-03957/pdf/USCOURTS-ca7-16-03957-0.pdf
- https://www.law360.com/articles/1012636/zimmer-reaches-tentative-settlement-in-knee-implant-mdl
- https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-ilnd-1_13-cv-09216/pdf/USCOURTS-ilnd-1_13-cv-09216-0.pdf
- https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-ilnd-1_12-cv-07728/pdf/USCOURTS-ilnd-1_12-cv-07728-0.pdf
- https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cdrh_docs/pdf4/K042271.pdf
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9233423