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Metal Corrosion of Femoral Stems in DePuy Hip Implants and Other Concerns
In a peer reviewed article, copyrighted in 1998 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, incorporated and funded by among others, Zimmer and DePuy, it was apparent that DePuy and Zimmer were aware that there were increased concentrations of metal in association with metal implants. Corrosion of orthopaedic implants was a serious clinical concern. Although the freely corroding implant materials used in the past had been replaced with modern corrosion-resistant superalloys, deleterious corrosion processes have been observed in certain clinical settings.
According to the New York Times, many artificial joints, including the products created by Zimmer and DePuy, do not have to be tested in patients or cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in order for them to be placed on the market. With baby boomers making up a large population and slowly entering into the later years of their lives, many individuals are facing hip replacement surgery, which makes it more important than ever that hip implant systems are properly designed for efficiency and quality.
Hip implant failure presents many challenges for a person. Not only does a patient have to undergo corrective surgery to replace the implant, he or she must cope with paying medical bills, pain and suffering, physical therapy, and other challenges.
A hip replacement failure attorney in Santa Barbara at the Law Offices of Renee J. Nordstrand can inform patients who have experienced DePuy and Zimmer hip implant failure of their legal rights and options. Our lawyers have years of experience handling serious personal injury and product liability cases. To learn more about how we can help you obtain the compensation you deserve, call (805) 962-2022 for a free consultation.
DePuy ASR Hip Implant Patients Entitled to Immediate Reimbursement for Recall-related Expenses
The month of August in 2010 brought bad news for patients who had hip replacement surgery and received a DePuy Orthopaedics hip implant system. After receiving new data from the National Joint Registry (NJR) of England and Wales revealing that the five year revision rate for the ASR Hip Resurfacing System is about 12 percent and about 13 percent for the ASR XL Acetabular System, DePuy announced a recall of the defective hip implant systems.
Once DePuy receives confirmation that a patient has received an ASR hip implant, recall-related expenses can be documented and submitted for reimbursement. DePuy will address medical costs directly associated with the recall of the ASR Hip System. These costs relate to recall-related patient out-of-pocket expenses, such as co-pays, deductable expenses, lost wages and travel costs, related to revision surgeries. DePuy will cover expenses for testing and treatment. Although this seems simple enough, it is important for patients to ensure that their rights are protected during the process of obtaining full and just compensation from DePuy.
At the Law Offices of Renee J. Nordstrand, our dedicated Santa Barbara DePuy hip implant failure lawyers are dedicated to obtaining maximum compensation for each patient harmed by DePuy’s negligent hip implant testing and manufacturing. If you have suffered as the result of the DePuy implant in California, contact us today for a free consultation. Call (805) 962-2022.
DePuy Orthopaedics ASR Hip Implant Failure Statistics Prompts Recall
One of the most common ailments, especially for older adults, is arthritis, and one of the most commonly replaced joints is the hip. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, about 750,000 patients with advanced painful arthritis have a total hip replacement annually in the U.S. These patients trust that the surgery will improve their quality of life and restore mobility. Unfortunately, this is not the case with DePuy ASR hip implants.
DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc., a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, introduced the ASR XL Acetabular hip implant system in the U.S. in 2005. It sported an innovative metal-on-metal design, as opposed to the traditional metal ball inserted into a plastic cup of its predecessors. The ASR was constructed, not by developing a whole new product, but by retrofitting a metal alloy cup from the ASR Hip Resurfacing System onto a standard hip implant. DePuy did not conduct clinical trials for the ASR.
In 2010, after the DePuy artificial hip system had already been implanted in about 100,000 Americans, the National Joint Registry (NJR) of England and Wales released data showing a high rate of replacement, or revision, for the ASR. The data revealed a five-year revision rate of an estimated 13 percent for the ASR XL Acetabular System and 12 percent for the ASR Hip Resurfacing System, although the later was not used in the U.S. Additional reports concluded that 21 percent of DePuy ASR hip systems had to be replaced by four years. This jumps to 49 percent by six years. With this information, DePuy recalled the ASR XL artificial hip implants on August 24, 2010.
Hip replacement surgery is not a simple process; it is an invasive operation which requires months of recovery and rehabilitation. If the hip implant fails, the patient’s subjected to a hip revision surgery. Even if the hip implant does not completely fail, it could cause serious complications such as heavy metal poisoning and tumors around the implant. In any case, it is likely that the patient would experience increased pain and discomfort.
At the Law Offices of Renee J. Nordstrand, our dedicated Santa Barbara DePuy hip implant failure lawyers are dedicated to obtaining maximum compensation for each patient harmed by DePuy’s negligent hip implant testing and manufacturing. If you have suffered as the result of the DePuy implant in California, contact us today free consultation. Call (805) 962-2022.
Doctor Brings Suit Against Allergen Following Botox Injections
http://inyourface.freedomblogging.com/2010/04/18/doctor-sues-claiming-botox-caused-years-of-pain/16761/
An Oklahoma doctor has filed the second recent lawsuit against Botox manufacturer Allergen, the Orange County Register reports. Dr. Sharla Helton, 47, alleges that the Botox injections she received in 2006 to alleviate wrinkles caused physical symptoms that included weakness, shortness of breath, double vision, and arm, hand, and foot pain.
Allergen denies that Botox injections caused Dr. Helton’s symptoms.
There are at least five other plaintiffs who have filed suits against Allergen, according to the article. Helton’s attorney, Ray Chester, recently tried another case against Allergen regarding Botox injections and lost. In that case, a young girl stricken with cerebral palsy was administered Botox injections to relax her limbs. Allergen paid for the girl’s physician (and many other doctors nationwide) to be trained to inject an amount of Botox in patients that was equivalent to an overdose. The girl later died of respiratory failure, which Allergen’s attorney successfully argued could not be conclusively linked to the Botox injections as the cause of her death.
Court documents reveal that in 2005, a year before the girl began Botox treatments, Allergen reported 38 patients who had suffered seizures following Botox injections to the Federal Drug Administration, including nearly 20 children with cerebral palsy.
As Helton’s trial gets underway in the next month, Chester will seek again to prove Allergen’s negligence in disclosing the risks of using Botox.
If you or a loved one has suffered physical injuries after a drug manufacturer failed to disclose its side effects and risks, please contact compassionate, experienced product liability attorneys who will aggressively fight to bring your case to justice. All initial consultations are free, and you won’t pay attorney fees until we win your case.