Metal on Metal Hip Replacement Litigation

Defective Hip Replacement Lawsuits

A Brief History of Hip Replacement Implant Surgery
It is widely accepted that hip replacement surgery with a well researched and well designed hip implant that has proven to be safe and effective is one of the most successful surgeries in orthopedics. The success rate, depending on the model used ranges from 95 to 99% with an average life expectancy of between 15 to 20 years.

The most historically successful designs incorporate:

• Metal or Ceramic Head
• Acetabular component (Cup) with a plastic (Poly) liner
• One piece stem

Subsequent to the above designs new alternatives were developed by several medical device companies that promised improvements in the surgical results and overall performance of the implants. The manufacturers of the new modular hip implant promised:

• Greater outcomes due to metal on metal lasting longer
• Reduction in wear debris (no plastic)
• Decreased risk of hip dislocations
• Two piece (neck and stem) allowing greater flexibility during surgery to match the patient’s anatomy

Unfortunately for patients these products were rushed to market without clinical testing or real life testing in spite of the fact that major / significant changes were being made to the design which has resulted in complications that are both real and significant. These complications have caused incredible damage and destruction to patients, which continue to be an ongoing problem.

Helping You Understand the Increased Risks and Potential Health Problems Linked to Metal on Metal and Modular Hip Implant Products

Hip replacement surgery is supposed to be a proven and time-tested solution to painful conditions and degenerative bone disease. Unfortunately for many people, hip replacements have only led to additional surgeries and dangerous medical complications. Metal on metal and 2nd generation modular hip replacements in particular have caused significant unnecessary hardships for thousands of patients.

Hip surgeries, including total hip replacement, partial hip replacement and hip resurfacing procedures have become increasingly popular over the past 30 to 40 years. Many people experience some type of hip problem during the course of their lifetime including fractures and arthritis. There are several types of hip implant devices made from a variety of materials including plastic, metal and ceramic. Metal on metal and 2nd generation modular hip implant devices gained popularity over the past 10 to 15 years and were designed to last longer. Manufacturers such as Depuy, Stryker, Zimmer and Biomet marketed metal on metal and 2nd generation modular implants to younger, active individuals. These patients would likely outlive the life of a traditional implant and require another replacement.

Read the Findings of Fact & Conclusions of Law  for a  $2 million verdict awarded in New Mexico finding Zimmer’s Kinectiv modular hip implant to be defective, in what is believed to be the first successful outcome for a Zimmer Kinectiv lawsuit.

Unfortunately, thousands of patients have reported serious complications directly caused by metal on metal and 2ndgeneration modular hip implants only a few years following surgery. Complications include:

• igh levels of metal in the bloodstream known as metallosis or metal poisoning
• High rates of joint failure
• High rates of joint revision
• Joint loosening and dislocation

The primary problem associated with metal on metal and 2nd generation modular implants is metallosis. As the metal parts of the devices rub together, little shards of metal are shed, or fretted, into the joint, tissue, bone and eventually the bloodstream. The metal particles damage the soft tissues around the joint and also cause joint inflammation and swelling.

According to defective hip replacement attorney Joseph Osborne, “There are a variety of symptoms that a recipient of a bad hip replacement may endure. Things such as pain or a stabbing sensation in the hip joint itself, infection, dislocation, loss of support on the side the hip replacement is on, also, back pain and pain on the other hip due to more use because you are suffering on that particular side.”

“I have an example of a client who received a defective hip in the state of New York. Due to family issues, she had to move down to South Carolina and was unable to get the necessary treatment that she needed.

She had called me, not knowing one, what type of hip replacement she had and two, what to do next. We were able to, one, ascertain that she had a recalled hip device and two, we were able to advise her of the proper treatment she needed to truly diagnose her situation.

In doing so, we got her in front of the right doctors who could perform things like metal ion testing for cobalt and chromium and MRIs to find out the status and the true problems that she was having with her hip replacement. She has now been recommended for a revision surgery and is going to get the defective hip replacement removed as soon as she possibly can.“

‍Video Transcript: The injuries associated with the Rejuvenate and ABG II begin with the effect of the corrosion and metallosis from the implant to the hip joint. These corrosion and metal products are toxic and poisonous to the hip joint so they cause destruction of tissue, muscle and bone, which requires a surgery that the patient never would have needed, but for the defective nature of the implant. Often times, even after the implant is removed, the effects or the damage caused by the implant, meaning dead tissue, dead bone, dead muscle, leave the joint either unstable or damaged forever as a result of the defective nature of the implant. Over time, complications from the removal surgery exist. The need for additional surgeries, potential infections all flow from the damage caused by the Stryker implant.

For instance, I represent someone … We filed his case. He had a lawsuit against Stryker … Who worked in the construction industry. He actually owned his own construction business, a job that required him to be on rooves and to help build houses and lay tile. He had a very, very successful construction company, but because of this implant and what it did to his hip joint was so severed … Even after he had it removed, the destruction was so far advanced that to this day, he has had multiple other surgeries to try and deal with the amount of tissue and bone that was destroyed by the toxic particles and the metallosis.

His hip will never be the same. He walks with a cane. He lost his construction business and his life has been permenently scarred simply because he received an implant that again is one of the biggest catastrophes in the history of orthopedic implants. If you unfortunately are the recipient of one of these implants and have suffered one of these injuries that can be associated with metallosis and unnecessary surgery, it’s important that you reach out to someone who is experienced in handling these cases.

Wright Metal Hip Replacement

Wright Medical began manufacturing joint replacement devices in 1950 and hip and knee products made up 60% of the company’s annual sales. Wright Medical hip devices are used in both primary and revision replacement surgeries as well as hip resurfacing procedures. Wright Medical’s most popular hip replacement devices are:

• CONSERVE Total A-CLASS Advanced Metal with BFH Technology
• CONSERVE Total Hip with BFH Technology
• CONSERVE Femoral Surface Replacement
• Acetabular cup systems, including DYNASTY, INTESEAL, PROCOTYL, GLADIATOR AND LINEAGE
• Femoral systems such PERFECTA and PROFEMUR

The Wright Medical devices that have caused the most problems in patients are the CONSERVE Plus Total Hip Resurfacing System and the PROFEMUR Z System. The CONSERVE Plus device is a metal-on-metal design that is marketed to younger, active individuals. However, the FDA has received more than 200 complaints about problems and complications stemming from these devices. Both the CONSERVE and PROFEMUR Z Systems have higher than normal failure and revision rates. Complications include:

• Metallosis due to increased metal ions in the bloodstream, resulting in joint pain and swelling, chest pain, numbness and fatigue
• Joint fracture
• Severe joint pain
• The need for several additional revision and replacement surgeries