Metal hip implants have been failing at an alarming rate and with medical experts in the field predicting a failure rate that can possibly reach as high as 50 percent, leading to pain and negative health complications.
If you have experienced pain or complications resulting from your metal hip implant surgery, we urge you to contact our experienced hip recall lawyer immediately to find out if you qualify.
The post-surgery complications that are known to be associated with a defective hip implant can consist of:
- Swelling
- Inability to bear own weight
- Experiencing pain when rising up
- Experiencing pain when walking
- Pain in the groin or thighs
- Hip pain
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Was Your Hip Implant Recalled?
Hip replacement surgery is a common procedure for patients suffering from hip problems. According to the Department of Human and Health Services (HHS), it is the second most common procedure after knee replacement surgeries. The point of the entire exercise is to remove the diseased and damaged parts of the hip joint, especially after a bout of osteoarthritis, and replace them with synthetic mechanic parts that mimic the movements of the natural parts.
This surgery aims to relieve pain, make it possible to move with ease, and enhance the working of the hip joint. Orthopedic specialists will also recommend this surgery if you are suffering from hip joint injury, bone tumors, osteonecrosis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
However, even with the technological milestones that have been achieved in this field of medicine, cases of hip replacement failures are still commonplace. DePuy, which is an orthopedics subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson (J&J), and maker of the ASR and Pinnacle hip implants, has been forced to recall a number of their hip implants.
Hip Implant Complaints
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), complaints against the Pinnacle hip implant from DePuy have been rising steadily. The period between April 15, 2011, and June 23, 2011, saw some estimated 270 complaints lodged with the FDA over these hip replacement products. Over the last decade, DePuy has faced some 2,500 complaints.
The situation with the ASR brand hip replacement, also manufactured by DePuy, is not any better. Complaints about this particular product have resulted in a large-scale recall and a number of lawsuits being filed.
The design of DePuy’s hip implants, especially the cups, has been faulted by orthopedic specialists as being behind the hip replacement recall. The DePuy ASR hip implant has relatively shallow cups compared to other similar products from competitors making them prone to problems.
Finally, on Aug. 26, 2010, after having sold more than 93,000 defective implants, DePuy finally embarked on a recall of their ASR hip replacement implant after an internal investigation revealed that 13 percent of all the patients who had received the implant had resorted to removing it due to catastrophic failure.
The failure of the Pinnacle brand of hip implants from DePuy was a result of metal degradation from the implants resulting in swelling, pain and an inability to bear the intended weight in implant victims.
Most metal-on-metal implants that are fitted onto patients suffering from osteoarthritis after undergoing hip surgery have recorded poor success rates. According to the British Hip Society, some of these implants have recorded failure rates of up to 50 percent at the age of six years.
Metal-on-Metal Hip Implant Lawsuits
DePuy is currently facing a flood of litigation from patients who have had to undergo painful revision surgical procedures to remove the defective implants.
The following symptoms could be an indication that your hip implant has some serious problems and that it could be facing imminent failure:
- Swelling
- Inability to bear own weight
- Experiencing pain when rising up
- Experiencing pain when walking
- Pain in the groin or thighs
- Hip pain
The deterioration of ASR hip implants results in the release of minute toxic metal pieces into the bloodstream. Possibly causing you to suffer from asceptic lymphocyte-dominated vasculitis associated lesions or ALVAL, a serious tissue reaction to the foreign metal objects or metallosis.
Apart from the tissue reaction, you might also experience pseudotumors.
It is important to visit the doctor for a regular checkup even if you are not experiencing any discomfort or pain and to contact our qualified hip recall attorney immediately.
In severe cases, the ASR and Pinnacle implants might fail completely.
This occurs when the bone that is holding the hip implant fractures, when the implant itself dislocates resulting in a misalignment of the moving parts or when the implant becomes loose and doesn’t stay in its intended position. It is important to be on the lookout for any of the above symptoms especially if you or a loved one has a hip implant.
Contact a Metal Hip Implant Failure Attorney
If you have experienced any of the previously mentioned symptoms following a hip replacement procedure, please contact our attorney immediately to discuss your legal rights.
An experienced hip recall lawyer from our law firm will help represent you and ensure that you explore all the legal options available. If you have suffered hip pain or swelling, or your replacement surgery was not a success, contact us immediately.
It is important to act quickly when filing a hip recall lawsuit as regulations limit the amount of time suffers from hip replacement failure have to report a claim and pursue your legal rights.