Hip and Knee Design Defects

Thornton Law Firm LLP is investigating the failure of certain hip and knee implants/replacements that were manufactured beginning in the early 1990’s by:

• Apex
• Biomet
• DePuy
• Howmedica Osteonics Corp.
• Zimmer

Please call our toll-free number (1-888-341-1405) to discuss your case with one of our personal injury and defective device lawyers. You can give some details of your case online as well.Each case is unique and requires a thorough review of the individual’s medical records to determine proper product identification and to determine potential damages as a result of the placement of a hip or knee implant.

What is the DePuy hip replacement?

The DePuy ASR™ is a metal-on-metal hip replacement system that has ball-and-socket joints made from metals such as cobalt and chromium. Manufactured by Johnson & Johnson’s DePuy Orthopaedics, it was approved by the FDA in 2005 and recalled in March 2010.

Who uses it, and for what condition?

Patients who require a hip replacement. The DePuy system often is chosen over older replacement systems because the metal-on-metal device is touted to last 15 years.

How does the DePuy replacement work?

The device replaces a natural hip with a manufactured one that is supposed to function like a normal hip for many years.

Hundreds of patients who received the DePuy system complained of its early failure. Failure often means an additional replacement surgery, which is usually painful, can be complex, and can result in long-term rehabilitation.

On August 24, 2010, DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc., a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, announced a voluntary recall of its ASR™ XL Acetabular System hip replacement, after a report published in Britain revealed an unacceptable failure rate of the device, resulting in revision surgery for 13 percent of patients within five years.

Johnson & Johnson’s DePuy Orthopaedics unit was already phasing out the ASR™ hip implant system when it finally acknowledged in March of this year that the device was prone to early failure. The DePuy ASR™ hip implant, meant to last approximately 15 years, can fail within only a few years of surgery. Individuals who experience a failure of the implant experience severe pain, and often have to undergo complicated and expensive replacement surgery.

What can you do?

If you or someone you love received a DePuy hip replacement system and are suffering from unexplained hip, thigh or groin pain or pain with walking, rising from a seated position or while bearing weight, you have valuable legal rights. Please call our toll-free number (1-888-341-1405) to discuss your case with one of our personal injury and defective device lawyers. You can give some details of your case online as well.

Zimmer Hip Replacement Reference Guide

Manufacturer

• Zimmer Holdings, Inc

Status

• Recall July 2008

Approved uses

• Hip implants

Serious side effects

• Fractures

• Surgery

• Severe groin pain

• Hip pain

• Loss of balance

• Instability

• Walking trouble

What is the Zimmer Durom cup hip implant?

The Zimmer Durom cup is a metal monoblock cup made from a single piece of material. If was first sold in the United States in 2006.

Who uses it, and for what condition?

Young, active patients who require a hip replacement that will last.

How does the Durom hip replacement work?

The device replaces a natural hip with a manufactured one that is supposed to function like a normal hip for many years. The Durom cup is supposed to become fixed to the hip joint by the bone growing onto the back of the cup.

When the bone growth does not occur, the cup rubs against the bone, causing excruciating pain and requiring replacement of the replacement hip.

What can you do?

If you or someone you love received a Zimmer Durom hip replacement system and are suffering from unexplained hip pain, you have valuable legal rights. Please call our toll-free number (1-888-341-1405) or contact us online to discuss your case with one of our personal injury and defective device lawyers.

Biomet Hip Replacement Reference Guide

Manufacturer

• Biomet Inc.

Status

• Recall September 2001

Approved uses

• Hip implants

Serious side effects

• Fractures

• Surgery

• Severe groin pain

• Hip pain

• Loss of balance

• Instability

• Walking trouble

What is the Biomet hip implant?

Biomet is one of seven hip replacement manufacturers who used the French-made zirconia ceramic femoral head—the ball portion of an artificial hip. The femoral heads were recalled in 2001.

Who uses it, and for what condition?

Patients who require a hip replacement.

How does the Biomet hip replacement work?

The device replaces a natural hip with a manufactured one that is supposed to function like a normal hip for many years.

In many cases, the femoral head fractures. This can cause a feeling of grinding or limited hip motion. Sometimes a pop is heard when the head fractures.

What can you do?

If you or someone you love received a Biomet hip replacement and are suffering from unexplained hip pain, you have valuable legal rights. Please call our toll-free number (1-888-341-1405) to discuss your case with one of our personal injury and defective device lawyers.

Trust our Massachusetts products liability attorneys to help

Contact the Boston law firm of Thornton Law Firm LLP online or at 1-888-341-1405 for a free consultation with a recognized leader in Massachusetts defective medical device litigation. You have nothing to risk. We offer a fair and accurate assessment of your case.