Exactech Recall Lawsuit: The Joint-Implant Packaging Defect

The Defect

Exactech makes orthopedic implants used in knee, hip and ankle replacements. Beginning in 2021, it recalled a large number of these devices because of a packaging flaw: the vacuum-sealed bags meant to protect the polyethylene (plastic) inserts were missing an oxygen-barrier layer. Without it, the plastic could oxidize — a chemical breakdown that makes the component wear out, crack or fail years sooner than expected. When an implant fails, the patient often needs a painful, costly revision surgery to replace it.

The recall grew to cover implants packaged this way over more than a decade, affecting a large number of patients who had no way to know their device was compromised.

The Litigation

The lawsuits were consolidated into a multidistrict litigation in the Eastern District of New York, and the docket has grown to roughly 1,800 cases. Plaintiffs allege the implants were defective and that Exactech failed to catch or disclose the packaging problem, leaving them with early device failure and revision surgeries. Bellwether trials have been scheduled. One complication for claimants is that Exactech has been in financial distress and entered bankruptcy, which can affect how and how much injured patients ultimately recover.

The litigation remains active, with no global settlement at the time of writing.

What Patients Should Know

If you have an Exactech knee, hip or ankle implant, check whether your specific device is part of the recall — Exactech and your surgeon can confirm using the implant’s details — and report new pain, swelling or instability, which can signal early failure. Keep your surgical records, implant identification and imaging; those documents are essential for both medical follow-up and any legal claim.