Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) surgery can be a very long and painful experience. However, imagine having to undergo more than one surgical procedure because the company that manufactured the screw used in the surgery didn't adequately test it? That's exactly what has happened to numerous ACL patients who say that the Calaxo Screw, or Calaxo Osteoconductive Interference Screw, was defectively designed.

What is ACL reconstructive surgery?

Injuries to the ACL ligament are undoubtedly one of the most commonly experienced knee injuries. Although often associated with sports such as soccer, tennis, skiing, basketball or any sport that requires sudden movements, ACL can also occur in non-sport activities by simply moving the wrong way. ACL knee surgery generally involves harvesting a ligament from another part of the patient's body and using it as a graft in the knee joint. Screws are generally used at the tibial end of the graft to hold it together.

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While metal screws were typically used in ACL surgery and often had to be removed, Smith & Nephew sought to change that by using a blend of bioabsorbable polymer and calcium carbonate which would hold the graft together and then simply dissolve. It sounded great when the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved the screw in 2006 and many doctors and patients were thrilled with the idea of one less surgery. Unfortunately, that excitement slowly faded.

Nearly 70,000 defective screws recalled

Within a year and a half of the medical device's approval, the company had recalled nearly 70,000 screws because patients were complaining of the following Calaxo Bone Screw side effects:

• excessive swelling in the tibial area
• screw fragmentation,
• pockets of fluid build up
• redness and swelling around the incision site
• continual pain
• fever

ACL reconstructive surgery patients have had to undergo additional painful surgeries to correct the problem and many have filed against Smith & Nephew, the global medical technology company which specializes in endoscopy, orthopedic reconstruction, orthopedic trauma and advanced wound management products. Although headquartered in London, the company – which earned $2.6 billion last year – maintains its U.S. headquarters in Massachusetts.

Victim of a broken Calaxo ACL Screw? You may have a lawsuit. Click here, for a top rated law firm to evaluate your legal rights. [Sponsored link]