FEMORAL IMPLANT IMPACTOR

Description of Event or Problem

IT WAS REPORTED THAT, DURING A TKA SURGERY, AFTER IMPACTING THE FEMUR AND WHILE REMOVING THE IMPACTOR, THE GREEN TIP OF ONE (1) FEMORAL IMPLANT IMPACTOR BROKE. AS SOON AS THE PIECE BROKE, THE FRAGMENT FELL TO THE FLOOR. THE PROCEDURE HAD BEEN COMPLETED, WITHOUT ANY DELAY, USING THE SAME DEVICE. NO FURTHER COMPLICATIONS WERE REPORTED.

Additional Manufacturer Narrative

INTERNAL COMPLAINT REFERENCE: (B)(4). THIS COMPLAINT WAS OPENED BY SMITH+NEPHEW TO DOCUMENT A PRODUCT PROBLEM ASSOCIATED WITH A SMITH+NEPHEW DEVICE. THE REPORTED PROBLEM RELATES TO KNOWN RISKS WITH THE DEVICE ITSELF OR WITH ITS USE THAT ARE APPROPRIATELY DOCUMENTED IN OUR RISK FILES. SMITH+NEPHEW WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR TRENDS IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR POST-MARKET SURVEILLANCE PROCESS AND TAKE NECESSARY ACTION AS REQUIRED IF ANTICIPATED SEVERITY AND/OR OCCURRENCE RATES ARE EXCEEDED. SMITH+NEPHEW HAS NO REASON TO SUSPECT THAT THE PRODUCT FAILED TO MEET ANY SPECIFICATIONS AT THE TIME OF MANUFACTURE. BASED ON OUR REVIEW OF ALL CURRENTLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION, WE ARE UNABLE TO IDENTIFY A DEFINITIVE ROOT CAUSE. HOWEVER, AS THE USE OF OUR PRODUCT CANNOT BE EXCLUDED AS A POTENTIAL CAUSE OR CONTRIBUTORY FACTOR TO THE REPORTED ISSUE, WE ARE SUBMITTING THIS REPORT IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE REGULATIONS. IF ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATIVE FINDINGS OR INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE THAT ALTERS THE CONCLUSIONS OF THIS REPORT, A FOLLOW-UP REPORT WILL BE SUBMITTED AS REQUIRED.

Additional Manufacturer Narrative

THE DEVICE WAS NOT RETURNED FOR EVALUATION; THEREFORE, A DEVICE ANALYSIS COULD NOT BE PERFORMED. HOWEVER, THE PHOTOGRAPHS WERE REVIEWED, AND REVEALED THAT THE DEVICE IS FRACTURED ALONG THE COVER. A REVIEW OF THE PRODUCTION ORDER DID NOT REVEAL A MANUFACTURING ABNORMALITY THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED OR CONTRIBUTED TO THE REPORTED INCIDENT. A REVIEW OF COMPLAINT HISTORY BASED ON THE HISTORICAL DATA REVEALED A SIMILAR EVENT FOR THE LISTED BATCH, THIS FAILURE MODE WILL BE MONITORED FOR FUTURE COMPLAINTS FOR ANY NECESSARY CORRECTIVE ACTIONS. A REVIEW OF THE RISK MANAGEMENT FILE REVEALED THIS FAILURE MODE WAS PREVIOUSLY IDENTIFIED. THE ANTICIPATED RISK LEVEL IS STILL ADEQUATE. A REVIEW CONCLUDED THAT A SIMILAR EVENT WAS IDENTIFIED, AND A CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS OPENED. THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS WERE TAKEN: A STRESS RELIEF PROCESS WAS ESTABLISHED FOR PLASTIC BUMPERS, SAMPLES WERE TESTED. DEVICE MASTER RECORDS FOR ALL PLASTIC BUMPERS WERE REVISED TO INCLUDE THE STRESS RELIEF OPERATION IN THE MANUFACTURING FLOW AND TO INCLUDE THE INSPECTION OF STRESS RELIEF TEMPERATURE CHART TO DETERMINE COMPLIANCE. AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE NO EVIDENCE TO CONCLUDE THAT THE PRODUCT FAILED TO MEET ANY SPECIFICATIONS AT THE TIME OF MANUFACTURE. THIS DEVICE IS A REUSABLE INSTRUMENT THAT CAN BE EXPOSED TO NUMEROUS SURGERIES. DAMAGE FROM PROLONGED USE, MISUSE OR ROUGH HANDLING ARE LIKELY POTENTIAL FACTORS THAT COULD CONTRIBUTE TO THE REPORTED EVENT. WE RECOMMEND THAT ALL REUSABLE INSTRUMENTS BE ROUTINELY INSPECTED FOR WEAR AND DAMAGE AND REPLACED AS NECESSARY. BASED ON THIS INVESTIGATION, THE NEED FOR CORRECTIVE ACTION IS NOT INDICATED. SHOULD THE DEVICE OR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BE RECEIVED, THE COMPLAINT WILL BE REOPENED. NO FURTHER INVESTIGATION IS WARRANTED FOR THIS COMPLAINT; HOWEVER, WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR FOR FUTURE COMPLAINTS AND INVESTIGATE AS NECESSARY. WE CONSIDER THIS INVESTIGATION CLOSED.