Warning: Hip Implant Parts Never Subjected to Clinical Trials

For the second time in 2012, a hip product has been recalled. This time it is due to a risk of wear-and-tear that leads to corrosion. Stryker Orthopaedics announced in mid-July the voluntary hip implant recall of the Rejuvenate Modular and ABG II modular-neck hip stems. The problems with this hip component and those made other manufacturers caused the FDA in May 2011 to require that metal hip manufacturers begin to collect in a database information about metal-on-metal hip replacement adverse events.

The adverse event data will allow doctors to determine much sooner whether to continue to use these products. These metal hips are failing at a rate much higher than expected – much higher than previous models that are now cosidered to be much safer. But due to a lack of data, surgeons continued to use these products long after the dangers would have been known to them had the data been available in a searchable database. Thus, doctors continued to use these hip products well beyond the time it could havce been known that these hip components had problems.

The expectation set by manufacturers about these metal-on-metal hips is that they would last longer than earlier models. The reality is that they should not have been used and are not as safe. Many patients now need to have revision surgery. The metal hip components need to be removed much sooner than was represented by the marketing materials and usage instructions about these products. Sometimes the hip devices need to be removed due to the patients developing metal poisons coming from the components.

Anapol Schwartz, a personal injury law firm, is following the matter closely in and out of the judicial system. If you have questions of comments about this matter, please leave them below.

Source: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/7/prweb9739625.htm

Related: Hip Implant Lawsuits