Texas Hip Replacement Recall Attorney Helping Injured Patients with Defective Hip Implant Claims
Hip replacement surgery occurs when the hip joint is excised and replaced with a prosthetic or artificial hip joint. The design of these hip implants has evolved over time, as does any medical device; however, in recent years it has come to light that many earlier designs–and even very recent implant designs–were defectively designed or manufactured, even compared with standards at the time. Patients who have received these defective artificial hip joints have faced debilitating side effects including pain, irritation, infection, bone loss, and sometimes repeated complex surgeries to have the devices removed and replaced. In some instances, the manufacturer has recalled the dangerous hip joint as a result of the identified defects.
If you or someone you care about has been injured as a result of a defective hip implant, you have the right to hold the product manufacturer liable for the harm they have caused. The defective medical device attorneys at Gilbert Adams Law Offices in Beaumont have decades of experience holding defective product manufacturers, medical practitioners, and other negligent parties accountable to injured Texans. Call our personal injury law firm today for help with a hip replacement recall injury claim.
Risks of Hip Replacement Surgery
Defective artificial hip joints can cause a number of potential risks and complications. Sometimes the device doesn’t take, sometimes there’s a problem with the surgery, and sometimes the device just breaks down, dislodges or otherwise doesn’t perform as intended. Patients who’ve undergone hip replacement surgery and received a defectively designed hip implant are at risk of a number of side effects, including:
- Infection
- Development of necrotic tissue
- Blood clots
- Loosening or dislocation of the hip implant
- Loss of bone matter
- Uneven limb length
- Fractures
- Chronic or sporadic pain
- Functional limitations
- Numbness
- Paralysis
When medical devices such as prosthetic hip joints are designed poorly or defectively manufactured, the risks of receiving a poor surgical result are that much greater. Poorly designed hip implants are much more prone to failure, leading to increased risk of dislocation as well as pain, swelling, limitations on range of motion, and other side effects. Defective hip implants often need to be removed or replaced within a few years, which requires repeated invasive, painful, and often dangerous surgeries.
If you are experiencing harmful side effects after your hip replacement surgery, even years after the actual procedure, your continued hip pain and problems may be the result of a defect caused by the manufacturer. Talk to a seasoned hip replacement recall attorney to find out if your implant has been subject to a recall.
Metal-on-Metal Hip Implants
One of the largest recalls in recent years has involved metal-on-metal hip implants. Originally designed to be more durable than plastic implants, metal-on-metal implants utilize metal balls, stems, and shells. As the patient walks and moves over time, the various metal parts scrape against one another, causing metal flakes to split off into the adjacent tissues and even the blood surrounding the implant.
A number of lawsuits have alleged that this flaking by metal-on-metal implants causes metal fragments to build up in the blood and tissue, leading to a number of dangerous and debilitating conditions including blood poisoning (also called metallosis) and pseudotumor development, not to mention a less sturdy hip device. The devices and loose metal fragments commonly lead to tissue, nerve, and bone damage, commonly called “adverse local tissue reaction” (ALTR) or “adverse reaction to medical debris” (ARMD). Over time, the damage can become more severe, leading to pain, functional limitation, illness, disability, and even death.
If you have a metal-on-metal hip implant, see a doctor immediately to check for blood poisoning as well as nerve, bone, or tissue damage around the implant. If you experience any side effects, or if you need a replacement or removal surgery, a dedicated medical device injury lawyer can help you get your medical bills covered as well as additional damages for the harm you have suffered.
Defective Hip Implant Brands
Whether due to being metal-on-metal or being otherwise defective, a number of major hip implant manufacturers have issued recalls in recent years. Below we identify a few of the companies and brand names that have been recalled. If you have had or currently have installed any of the recalled implants, talk to your doctor immediately, and call a seasoned Texas defective medical device lawyer for help recovering compensation for any damages you have or may be suffering.
- Wright Medical Conserve, Lineage, and Dynasty
- Wright Medical Profemur Stem
- Zimmer Biomet Durom Cup
- Zimmer MMC Cup
- DePuy ASR
- Stryker’s Trident PSL
- Stryker Hemispherical Acetabular Cups
- Stryker ABG II
- Stryker V40 Cobalt Chromium heads
- Smith & Nephew R3 Acetabular System
- Smith & Nephew Birmingham Hip Resurfacing Femoral System
- Smith & Nephew Modular SMF Hip Stem and Modular REDAPT Revision Femoral System
- Biomet M2A 38mm/Magnum
Call Today for Help With a Hip Replacement Recall Injury Claim
If you or your loved one has been harmed by a defective hip implant in Texas, find out if you’re a good candidate to file a product liability lawsuit against the manufacturer by contacting the seasoned, dedicated, and thorough defective product attorneys of the Gilbert Adams Law Offices at 409-835-3000.