The University of Missouri has settled a number of personal injury and false advertising lawsuits over knee surgeries for $16.2 million.
Mizzou BioJoint Lawsuits Settle for $16.2 Million
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Created in 2015, the Mizzou BioJoint® Center is part of the Missouri Orthopaedic Institute which is part of the University of Missouri Health System. The Mizzou BioJoint Center was formed to develop, test, and market proprietary products and services on patients. According to its website, the surgeries performed at the Mizzou BioJoint Center include “restorative cartilage, bone, meniscus, ligament and tendon procedures designed to safely improve your joint health and function.”
Mizzou BioJoint surgery involves the transplantation of human tissue called an osteochondral allograft into the knee joint. The procedure was marketed as a viable alternative to traditional partial or total knee replacement. Pioneers of the procedure include James Stannard, M.D. and James Cook, DVM, Ph.D., OTSC.
From 2018 to 2020, 22 plaintiffs filed lawsuits over the BioJoint surgeries. A number of these individuals claimed that after numerous unsuccessful BioJoint surgeries they had to have total knee replacement surgery. Plaintiffs alleged that the experimental nature of the surgery was not disclosed, and that Dr. Cook was falsely represented as an orthopedic surgeon and physician.
The defendants denied all allegations. In February 2021, the University of Missouri settled the lawsuits without admitting liability or negligence. All other claims were dismissed.
In a statement, University of Missouri Health Care CEO Jonathan Curtright remarked, “We are pleased to resolve this litigation. Providing safe, quality care is always our top priority, and we remain committed to excellence in restoring joint health and function for eligible patients.”
Curtright continued, “We are confident in the expertise and dedication of our staff and the innovative, science-based services offered by the Missouri Orthopaedic Institute and the Mizzou BioJoint program.”
OTW has been following the lawsuits against the Mizzou’s BioJoint Center since they began in 2018. For its coverage of the lawsuits see “Mizzou BioJoint Lawsuits Continue to Grow,” “Number of Mizzou Living Cell Lawsuits is Growing,” and “Third Lawsuit Hits Mizzou Regenerative Medicine Center.”
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This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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