The Recall Desk
HighFDA (Devices)·Z-0775-2013·Announced 2013-02-13

Zimmer Recalls Trilogy Acetabular Shells with Porosity Defects

Zimmer, Inc. is recalling Trilogy Acetabular Shells with holes because some units have porosity below the specified range, which may affect bone ingrowth.

What this means for you

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall is classified as FDA Class II, and the source text does not report any illnesses or injuries. Per the rubric, risk-of-harm products where injury has not yet been reported are classified as High.

Plain-English summary

Zimmer, Inc. is recalling 275,952 units of Trilogy Acetabular Shells with holes. The recall includes lots of Uni-Hole Trilogy Acetabular System shells, which were added to the action on October 31, 2012. These devices are indicated for cemented or uncemented use in individuals undergoing surgery for rehabilitating hip damage.

The recall is due to a manufacturing defect where some units produced since March 2009 may have porosity levels below the lower range of the specification. Specifically, some units may have porosity as low as 28%, whereas the specification requires 30%. This deviation from the pore size specification may impact the performance of the implant.

The affected products were distributed worldwide, including in the United States and numerous international markets such as Australia, Canada, India, Japan, and various European countries. Healthcare providers and patients should contact Zimmer, Inc. for further instructions regarding the removal or replacement of these devices.

The recalled product

Product
Trilogy Acetabular Shells with Holes. The Trilogy Acetabular System is indicated for either cemented or uncemented use in individuals undergoing surgery for rehabilitating hip damage.
Manufacturer
Zimmer, Inc.
Affected units
275,952

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

Part of a larger recall action

This product is one of 8 recalled by Zimmer, Inc. under a single FDA (Devices) recall action. The agency files each product separately, so the size of the action is not visible from this page alone.

See all 8 products in this recall →