Pharmaceutical companies marketed metal-on-metal hip replacement devices as durable alternatives to traditional hip implants. This was especially true for younger, more active patients. However, later, thousands of patients reported serious complications linked to their hip implant device failing, toxic metal debris, and painful hip replacement revision surgeries. Research has shown that patients who undergo a hip replacement revision after metal-on-metal hip implant failure may face an increased risk of infection and other severe complications.
Revision Hip Replacement Complications
A study published in the medical journal Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research examined patients who underwent hip replacement revision surgery after their metal-on-metal total hip arthroplasty (THA) devices failed. Researchers from the Mayo Clinic followed 37 patients whose hip procedures were revised due to an adverse reaction to metal debris, a fracture following hip replacement, hip dislocation, or another reason. Those injuries alone are reasons a patient may file a metal-on-metal hip replacement lawsuit. But the damage can get worse. The most common hip implant revision surgery complications included:
- Adverse reactions to metal debris
- Implant loosening
- Hip dislocation
- Bone fracture
- Chronic pain
- Hip implant failure
The study reported that many patients kept suffering severe complications after the hip revision surgery. Researchers reported a “higher-than-expected” infection rate after revision surgeries for metal-on-metal hip implants compared with revisions involving other types of hip replacements.
“We observed a higher-than-expected rate of infection after revision of [metal-on-metal] THAs. The infection rate was higher in this report than in an earlier series looking at revision THAs for other indications at our institution. As revision of [metal-on-metal] THA becomes more common, it will be important to continue monitoring postrevision outcomes and providing treatment strategies to mitigate complications for these patients.”
An axiom of the research is twofold: Myriad studies cite failure and revision rates for the metal-on-metal total hip arthroplasty, or THA, that exceed those of procedures that involve other hip-replacement surfaces. There are few studies, however, centered on what happens to the recipients of revised hip replacements.
According to the study, post-revision complications can include:
- Deep joint infections
- Tissue destruction
- Bone loss
- Repeat surgeries
- Chronic pain
- Reduced mobility
The FDA has also identified possible systemic complications associated with elevated metal ion levels, including:
- Cardiomyopathy
- Hearing loss and vision problems
- Thyroid dysfunction
- Neurological issues
- Renal impairment
The FDA’s report indicated that metal ions that are released from the metal hip implants can enter the patient’s bloodstream and spread. This causes much more significant damage that is not confined to the patient’s hip joint itself. When metal surfaces grind, the device can fail and cause a variety of conditions, including metallosis, which is derived from the release of metal particles from the grinding action. The adverse reactions of metal-on-metal hip implants can include “infection, loosening, bone loss, device or bone fracture, and joint dislocation,” according to one of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Products and Medical Procedures updates.
Additionally, according to the FDA, complications such as cardiomyopathy, hearing and visual changes, renal impairment, and thyroid dysfunction could result from the release of metal particles, which can lead to “deterioration of the tissue around the joint, loosening of the implant, and failure of the device. Metal ions from a metal-on-metal implant will enter the bloodstream.”
Signs of Infection After Hip Surgery – What Did the Study Actually Show?
The piece centered on the relationship between the diameter of the femoral head of a hip implant and wear and tear at the implant’s trunnion interface.
First, there needs to be a quick background. The femoral head is the ball of the implant that is surrounded by layers of material and is attached to the pelvis. The stem is the long piece that fits into the patient’s femur. The trunnion is the tapered piece that connects the stem to the ball.
The experiment examined the level of trunnion interface wear as it related to the diameter of the head. The study concluded what many clients in metal-on-metal hip implant lawsuits already learned the hard way.
“Stability improved with increased diameter,” researchers wrote, “although diminishing benefit was seen for sizes of greater than 40 mm. By contrast, contact stress and computed wear at the trunnion interface all increased unabatedly with increasing head size. Increased impaction forces resulted in only small decreases in trunnion wear generation.”
The attorneys at Reich & Binstock have clients who either have suffered or have feared that they may suffer serious complications resulting from wear within metal-on-metal hip implants that churn metal particles into the tissue and sometimes into the bloodstream. Metallosis is such a condition. One issue in metal-on-metal hip implant lawsuits is that the manufacturers either knew or should have known the risks of serious injury and should have done something to ameliorate the likelihood of suffering before regulators in numerous countries, including the U.S., stepped in.
Moreover, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advised that some medical literature reported that metal-on-metal hip implant injury can be manifested as:
- General hypersensitivity reaction (skin rash)
- Cardiomyopathy
- Neurological changes, including sensory changes (auditory or visual impairments)
- Psychological status change (including depression or cognitive impairment)
- Renal function impairment
- Thyroid dysfunction (including neck discomfort, fatigue, weight gain, or feeling cold)
Hip Replacement Infection Risks After Revision Surgery
Hip implant revision surgery is more complex than the first hip implant surgery. Surgeons often must remove damaged tissue, reconstruct bone loss, and replace failed components. This leads to longer operating times, greater blood loss, and longer times to recover. Risks of hip implant revision surgery include:
- Surgical site infections
- Recurrent hip implant failure
- Soft tissue necrosis
- Additional revision surgeries
- Permanent disability
For many patients, hip implant complications can result in severe physical pain, emotional distress, lost wages, and mounting medical expenses. The pain and suffering that plaintiffs in metal-on-metal hip replacement lawsuits experience can be derived from infection and from revision surgery.
Those who file metal-on-metal hip replacement lawsuits may be entitled to compensation for pain and suffering as well as for lost wages and medical expenses. Post-revision infections can make a bad situation worse. Victims injured by metal-on-metal hip implant complications can still hire an attorney and pursue the compensation that may be well-deserved.
Common Hip Implant Lawsuits Our Attorneys Handle
Patients in metal-on-metal hip replacement lawsuits have suffered injury from defective devices that have been recalled and from models that remain on the market. Several metal-on-metal hip implants have been recalled, issued safety warnings, or been named in product liability litigation. Our Texas personal injury lawyers help patients who have suffered complications associated with these devices file lawsuits alleging defective design, failure to warn, and inadequate safety testing.
Anyone who has suffered complications related to the failure of any of the following hip implants may want to contact the experienced medical device attorneys at Reich & Binstock for a free consultation:
- Biomet M2a Hip Implants
- Biomet M2a-Magnum
- Biomet Regenerex
- Birmingham Hip Replacement
- Birmingham Hip Resurfacing (BHR) system
- DePuy ASR XL Acetabular System
- DePuy ASR Hip Resurfacing System
- DePuy Pinnacle Acetabular Cup System
- DePuy PINNACLE ULTAMET Metal Liner
- Portland Orthopaedics Ltd. M-COR Modular Hip System
- RingLoc + Modular Acetabular System
- Stryker Hip Implants
- Wright CONSERVE Total Resurfacing Hip System
- Wright PROFEMUR Hip Implant
- Zimmer Durom Cup
- Zimmer Continuum Acetabular System
We will examine a patient’s circumstances and will determine whether there is an entitlement to compensation and thus a viable case for a metal-on-metal hip replacement lawsuit. All a patient or a patient’s loved one needs to do is contact Reich & Binstock at 713-622-7271 or submit the electronic case evaluation request form posted on this website. There is no charge, and our fees are taken out only if we win the case. You deserve answers and justice.
