Canadian hip implant
patients who have suffered side effects or complications from use of the Zimmer
Durom Cup acetabular device are eligible to join a class action lawsuit against
the company, Justice Gregory Bowden has ruled. So far, 35 Canadians have
reported problems with the device, but the lawyer responsible for the Zimmer
hip class action lawsuit says that ultimately up to 100 Canadians are expected
to join the suit.
The Zimmer hip class action lawsuit is welcome news to the patients who have required hip revision surgery
or have experienced joint pain, immobility, stiffness, inflammation, and/or
diminished range of motion as a result of using the Zimmer Durom Cup.
Initial Zimmer Hip Lawsuits
Dennis Jones and Susan Wilkinson are the representative plaintiffs in the Zimmer hip
class action lawsuit. Susan Wilkinson, age 51,
first received the Zimmer Durom Cup implant in 2008. According to the lawsuit,
within three months she began experiencing serious hip side effects including
pain in her leg and hip, a clicking sound in the implant, and the feeling that
the implant was coming loose. Within a year, the pain had become so strong that
Wilkinson constantly needed to take potent painkillers and required a cane in
order to walk. Because of this, she was forced to take time off from her job,
and she was no longer able to enjoy her favorite leisure time activities such
as skiing, gardening, and participating in the Canadian sport of curling. In
late 2009 she underwent revision surgery and had the Durom cup replaced.
Development of a Hip or Knee Implant Registry
Some experts
have called for a joint registry in the U.S., similar to those in other
countries including Australia and Great Britain. A joint registry would track
patients who have had hip or knee replacements to see how well they fare after
surgery and whether they experience any side effects or other complications.
With such a registry, a doctor whose patient is having problems with an implant
could tell if it is an isolated incident, or whether problems with this
particular Zimmer hip implant failure are widespread. In addition, a doctor whose patient needed
an implant could check the registry in advance and thus avoid recommending an
implant that seems problematic or risky.
