Treace Medical Concepts, Inc. has filed a lawsuit against Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. and Paragon 28, Inc., accusing the two companies of infringing on four of its patents (Patent No. 12,102,368; Patent No. 12,268,397; Patent No. 12,268,428; Patent No. 12,274,481) related to the Lapiplasty® system. This system is used in bunion correction surgery and was designed to improve upon older surgical methods that Treace says were less effective.
In the complaint, Treace alleges that the defendants are selling products that are too similar to the patented features of the Lapiplasty® system, including both the surgical tools and the techniques used during the procedure. Treace emphasizes that its system is unique in how it corrects bunions in three dimensions and guides the surgeon through each step to produce more consistent results for patients.
The timing of the lawsuit is notable, coming shortly after Zimmer Biomet finalized its acquisition of Paragon 28 in April 2025 for approximately $1.2 billion. As a result of the deal, Treace may now be challenging a broader range of products that include Paragon’s technologies, which could overlap with Treace’s intellectual property.