Since 2006, 12,000 plus people received the Durom Cup hip implant by Zimmer. At the onset, the Durom Cup appeared to provide relief for those struggling with damage to the hip bone and cartilage. In fact, hip replacement surgery is the final treatment plan when all other methods fail. Yet, the treatment plan with the Durom Cup hasn’t ended for many due to the disabilities that have resulted from its use. The Durom Cup was recalled after multiple violations cited by the FDA. In addition, there are several other makers that have faced with recalls due to excessive pain and suffering for people that have underwent hip replacement surgery. In fact the lack of consumer awareness is another cause for concern. As Jackie Quinton, Attorney at Law of The Garrett Law Office in Oklahoma City and surrounding areas explains, “People with the recalled Zimmer Hip Implant often initially believe that the persistent pain and/or dislocation they are experiencing is a natural component of surgery and not attributed to a defective product. In fact, they may go to the emergency room and have subsequent surgeries without knowing the root cause of their disability. Some doctors may not be aware of the defect as well.” The affected hip implants date back to 1998. Over 150,000 hip replacement surgeries are performed each year, according to FDA Talk.
Hip replacement surgery may be performed through a variety of techniques. The techniques for total hip replacement involves the use of artificial implant designed to help mimic the function of the hip joint.
Zimmer Hip Implant Issues
Though initial patient reports of the Durom Cup held promise, the failure rate appeared high in the years following surgery. Patient complaints have included: 1) loose implant 2) inability of the cup to bond with the bone 3) implant migration from initial positioning 4) immobility 5) severe pain. The contentions surrounding the hip implants are, as follows:
• Some personal injury attorneys contend that Durom Cup implants should never have been on the market because the company never proved that their product was superior to others. Also, it is suspected that there is a failure in the design of the implant cup.
• Others contend that the doctors were not adequately trained in Durom Cup placement by the maker.
• The process of bonding implants to bone is highly skill dependent. For example, dentists have been using the process of osteointegration (bonding bone to artificial material) for over ten years. Osteointegration is critical for the success of a dental implant. Yet, the skills used in the bonding technique have required many years of time. Osteointegration techniques are used in other medical applications such as head and neck.
• The FDA cited multiple reasons why the Durom Cup implant was a cause for concern, including: 1) failure to deliver adequate quality control information about the product 2) failure to implement preventative and corrective procedures, 3) failure to deliver complaint handling and trend reporting for side effect cases in a timely fashion.
Though the company did suspend sales and ultimately reported the high failure rate, the problems associated with the implant may produce debilitating pain and the need for revision surgery. In fact, surgeons performing revision surgery may require additional expertise to remove and replace the implant. Revision surgeries also have their own set of risks.
Lawsuits involving hip implants have been filed in behalf of victims suffering from hip replacement. There are a select number of personal injury attorneys that handle hip implant lawsuits.