When DePuy Orthopaedics was formed in 1895 by Revra DePuy on the sale of a synthetic splint that would replace the wooden ones regularly used to set fractures at the time, he could not have imagined that the company would grow into its present state as one of the worlds leaders in the manufacture of medical devices. DePuy has been considered an innovator in the medical device field over the course of its history. Since its purchase by Johnson & Johnson in 1998, things have continued to get better for the company. Though, recently there have been some potential issues regarding its hip replacement devices.
The DePuy ASR was recalled back in August, but another of DePuys hip replacement systems has been in the news lately. The Pinnacle hip replacement system, a metal-on-metal device, has raised concerns beyond the typical loosening that recipients of medical devices have to worry about. The latest potential issue with metal-on-metal hip replacement systems stems from the way the metal components rub against each other, which could cause metal particles to flake off and embed into the surrounding soft tissue.
When such metal particles build up to abnormally high levels in the tissue or bloodstream of the patient, metal toxicity may result. The condition affects different people in different ways because symptoms depend on the affected bodys reaction to the presence of heavy metals. The common symptoms of metal toxicity include disorientation and a general malaise, though there are other ways it may manifest itself. Headaches, nausea, and other common symptoms of sickness could indicate metal toxicity. Because of the vagueness of the symptoms, it is very important that anyone with a metal-on-metal hip replacement device is aware of the symptoms and seeks the guidance of a medical professional should they appear.
Although there has yet to be a DePuy Pinnacle recall, there are already
"cases being filed against DePuy by plaintiffs that claim to have been harmed" by their Pinnacle hip replacement system. One plaintiff has filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, seeking to initiate the process of multidistrict litigation (MDL). When there are several plaintiffs filing an identical claim against one defendant, MDL consolidates pre-trial procedures like discovery for efficiencys sake.
Now is high time to start preparing for litigation if you have experienced pain, loosening, or the symptoms of metal toxicity from your Pinnacle hip replacement device. There are attorneys-at-law who act as advocate for product liability cases such as this.
