Texas Bone Cement Lawyer

Hip surgery is becoming more common in an aging population. Bone cement, an optional product that is often used in this surgery, is associated with bone cement implantation syndrome (BCIS), a rare but life-threatening side effect that can cause pulmonary embolism, cardiac arrest, or death.

Need a Texas Bone Cement Lawyer? Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged. If you or a loved one was injured by bone cement implantation syndrome after hip surgery, you should contact our lawyers immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit in Texas.

UPDATE: Bone Cement Trials Underway Over Spinal Surgery Deaths

June 24, 2016 — CVN is broadcasting the first trial over bone cement in spinal surgeries gone horribly wrong. It leaked into the bloodstream and caused severe blood clots. Both women died on the operating table in unapproved surgeries. Click here to read more.

What is Bone Cement?

Bone cement is used in orthopedic surgery on the hip, knee, shoulder, and elbow. The cement is injected into the free space between the prosthesis and the bone. This helps anchor artificial joints.

The most widely-used bone cement is poly (methylmethacrylate) (PMMA), a material that was developed in the 1920s and mass-marketed as Plexiglas. It is not technically a type of glass, but rather plastic.

How is Bone Cement used in Hip Surgery?

Bone cement was first used in surgery to repair hip fractures, also known as femoral hemiarthroplasty, in the 1940s. This procedure is similar to a total hip replacement, but surgeons only replace the head of the femur, leaving the socket intact. Bone cement is typically used to anchor the femoral head to the femur.

What is Bone Cement Implantation Syndrome?

Bone cement implantation syndrome (BCIS) is a poorly understood, rare, and life-threatening medical condition that usually occurs within a few minutes after a surgeon injects bone cement into a patient. For unknown reasons, the bone releases fat and marrow into the bloodstream, which clogs arteries in the lungs and causes a pulmonary embolism. BCIS can also cause deadly cardiovascular events.

Study Links Bone Cement and 41 Deaths

June 2014 — The British Medical Journal has published a study linking bone cement in hip surgery to 62 severe adverse events between 2005-2012, including 41 deaths. Researchers estimated that cardiac arrest or death occurred in about one in 3,000 patients treated with bone cement in hip surgery.

According to the authors of the study:

“The alarm was first sounded in 2009, and most of the cases that have come to light have occurred since that date … This suggests that measures to reduce the risks are not being acted on widely enough.”

Risks & Complications of Bone Cement in Hip Surgery

• Pulmonary embolism
• Hypoxia (low oxygen)
• Low blood pressure
• Irregular heart rhythm
• Cardiac arrest
• Heart failure
• Death

Need a Bone Cement Lawyer in Texas?

Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged.

Collen’s amazing success in the courtroom and well known dedication to his clients has earned him the recognition of his peers as one of The Top Trial Lawyers in Texas.”

The Clark Firm has assembled a team of trial lawyers with more than 100 years experience, participation in over 600 jury trials and $260 million in verdicts and/or settlements. Please use the form below to contact our Texas bone cement lawyers for a free lawsuit review.