March 19, 2012 — National Public Radio (NPR) has recently broadcast a radio story that brings attention to the issue of defective metal-on-metal hip replacements.
These hip implants have been widely marketed as an ideal, long-lasting design for younger implant recipients. However, more and more people are suffering severe side effects.
More than 6% of the devices fail within five years. They can destroy surrounding bone and tissue, leak carcinogenic toxins into the body, and fracture early. There are at least 500,000 people in the United States who have a metal hip replacement. Of these, 5,000 have decided to file a defective hip replacement lawsuit.
You can listen to the NPR radio broadcast here:
NPR tells the story of Susy Mansfield. She received a metal-on-metal hip replacement in 2009. When she was implanted with the device, one in three people were receiving the metal hip implants. DePuy Orthopaedics marketed the devices as ideal for younger, more active patients. Ms. Mansfield was 57 when she received the implant. Three years later, she was suffering severe pain and “hot burning” sensations. Her hip replacement was eating into surrounding tissues and bone. It was also leaking metals into the surrounding tissue. Ms. Mansfield was implanted with a hip replacement that had been recalled by DePuy, but she was not aware of the recall until a year later.
DePuy Orthopaedics has recalled all ASR and Pinnacle metal hip implants. The metal-on-metal design is still being marketed and implanted in the United States. In Europe, very few people are receiving the devices. A British study found that the five-year failure rate of the metal design was 6.2%, or about 1 out of 16 people. It is possible that the actual rate of failure is higher than this number. No one has been keeping track of how many people were implanted with the metal-on-metal hip replacements. No one is keeping track of the side effects, either.
If you were implanted with a defective metal hip replacement, you may be alarmed and angry to learn that the FDA approved this medical device with no safety data. The devices were approved via a loophole that allows “substantially similar” medical devices to be approved without conducting safety studies. Problems with hip implants take several years to develop. By the time there was data indicating high risks with the metal hip replacements, hundreds of thousands of people had already been implanted with the devices.
If you were injured by a defective metal hip implant, you are not alone. Thousands of people have been injured by these devices. You may be facing expensive medical bills, pain and suffering, and lost income due to your hip injuries. You may wish to seek justice and financial compensation for your injuries. At least 5,000 people have decided to file a defective hip implant lawsuit. If you decide to file a lawsuit, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries.
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