Zimmer Hip Places Blame Everywhere But On Themselves

In February 2011, the Food and Drug Administration stated that there are "unique risks" for "metal-on-metal" artificial hips because tiny metal ions can wear off and damage nearby tissue. Patients who have received all metal implants should be aware of potential symptoms which may occur after surgery and indicate that their device is not functioning properly. Common symptoms may include: pain in the groin, hip or leg, swelling at or near the hip joint and a limp or change in walking ability. The Zimmer Durom Cup was approved in the United States in 2006 for use during total hip replacement, or total hip arthroplasty. The component has been implanted in over 12,000 patients. According to information released by Zimmer, some doctors have encountered post-hip surgery problems requiring Zimmer hip revision surgery as much as 5.7% of the time.

Doctors Point Fingers at Zimmer in Hip Replacement Lawsuits

The tipping point in the Zimmer Durom Cup recall was a letter written by Lawrence D. Dorr, MD, an orthopedic surgeon who is the medical director of the Dorr Institute for Arthritis Research and Education in California. Dr. Door is considered to be an opinion leader in hip and joint replacement surgery and research around the world. Dr. Dorr found that 14 of the 165 Durom hip systems implanted at his clinic needed a Zimmer Hip revision surgery within two years of hip implant surgery. Several hip surgeons, including Dr. Dorr, of the Dorr Arthritis Institute at good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles and Amar Ranawat, MD, of the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City have been working on a project to develop software for robotic-guided navigation for hip surgery.

Zimmer Hip Replacement Lawsuits: A Small Consolation?

Individuals who have been fitted with Zimmer’s Durom Cup hip replacement system and have experienced some of the many side effects associated with it may be entitled to file a Zimmer Hip lawsuit against the orthopedics manufacturing giant, and the company may even choose to settle with the plaintiff out of court. However, this is little consolation for some patients, who may have dealt with excruciating pain and other complications related to their side effects.

Zimmer Durom Cup Trials Move Forward in MDL

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) issued a warning in October 2010 about potential the risk of metal poisoning from hip replacements, indicating that patients and the medical community should be aware that pain months after hip surgery may be a sign of cobalt toxicity. Since then, lawsuits involving Zimmer’s Durom Cup hip replacement have sky rocketed due to both; Metallosis and Zimmer hip implant failures. Zimmer announced that it had set aside $150 million to deal with any and all settlements concerning their defective hip but, since more and more lawsuits keep coming forward, this number is sure to grow.