UPDATE: On August 11, 2022, Exactech expanded the recall to include nonconforming conventional UHMWPE liners. The timeframe for use of the affected implants was also expanded.
UPDATE: Exactech issues recall of select liners in summer 2021 as reported by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Weitz & Luxenberg is representing clients who have suffered pain, limited mobility, device loosening, and osteolysis, due to hip implant failure requiring revision surgery as a result of excessive polyethylene wear with the Exactech Connexion GXL acetabular liners.
“There is nothing more disheartening to patients than to be told they need to have another surgery to remove an implant that failed only a few years after the implantation,” said Ellen Relkin, Weitz & Luxenberg’s practice group chair for defective drugs and medical devices. Having been court appointed to lead litigations involving five other failed hip implants, Relkin has spoken to many hundreds of clients injured by hip implants that were rushed to the market before adequate testing was performed.
Early Complications with Exactech Connexion GXL Acetabular Liners
The Connexion GXL, manufactured by Exactech, was approved for use in primary and revision hip replacement surgeries for certain joint-degrading conditions, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as congenital or trauma-related hip problems.
The Connexion GXL acetabular liner is made of polyethylene, a type of plastic. It is inserted between a compatible acetabular cup, the portion of a hip replacement that is placed against a person’s pelvic bone, and a compatible femoral head, the portion of a hip replacement that mimics the “ball” portion of the femur bone.
The Exactech Connexion GXL acetabular liner has come to the public’s attention due to reports of early hip replacement failures in which these liners were used. Two studies, one recently published in the Journal of Arthroplasty and the other in Arthroplasty Today by two separate groups of orthopedic surgeons from different institutions, found significant, early wear of several polyethylene Exactech Connexion GXL acetabular liners implanted in their patients.
As a result of this early wear of the Connexion GXL acetabular liners, sometimes as early as a year post-implantation, orthopedic surgeons have observed patients with pain, limited mobility, loosening, and osteolysis (destruction and disappearance of bone surrounding the hip implant), often resulting in the need for revision surgery.
Numerous Exactech Connexion GXL acetabular liner adverse event reports, many specifically mentioning wear of the acetabular liner, have been submitted to the FDA’s MAUDE database.
W&L Can Help Patients Experiencing Problems with Exactech Connexion GXL Acetabular Liners
Weitz & Luxenberg encourages anyone who has had their Exactech Connexion GXL acetabular liner removed during a revision surgery to contact us. Patients should also contact the firm if they have been having problematic symptoms such as pain, stiffness, and limited mobility, after being implanted with an Exactech Connexion GXL acetabular liner.
Affected patients can contact the firm using the online form or by calling (833) 977-3437 for a free consultation.
Weitz & Luxenberg has experienced attorneys and a winning track record. Our team has won more than $12 billion in drug and medical device litigations for our clients.
