Exactech Joint-Replacement Injury Suits Sent to New York Court

Joint-replacement maker Exactech Inc. and unit Exactech U.S. Inc. will face a combined proceeding in New York by patients who allege they were harmed by flawed components in certain recalled hip, knee, and ankle prostheses.

Combining the cases into a single proceeding will increase efficiency and prevent inconsistent pretrial rulings, the US Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation said Friday.

Patients generally claim that their devices prematurely failed, requiring revision surgery and causing personal injuries. They alleged that manufacturing and other problems allowed the liner component to be exposed to excess oxygen, causing it to wear out sooner than expected.

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