Complications related to the DePuy hip replacement system resulted in a recall of the devices last August, but for many patients, the damage was already done. More than twelve percent of the recipients of these implants had to have hip replacement revision surgery within five years of their original surgery. Revision surgery is painful, costly, and more risky than the initial surgery. A recent study conducted by Dr. Thomas Joyce of Newcastle University disputes these statistics – and claims that 50 percent of the 500 DePuy hip recipients surveyed required hip revision surgery after six years. The intended life of a device such as this is fifteen years or more.
Whatever the actual number, one thing is clear – the rate of failure associated with these devices is extremely high. Because of this, thousands of patients across the globe have filed lawsuits against DePuy Orthopedics. Over 90,000 people in total were fitted with the device, and a significant percentage of them are expected to come forward with a lawsuit.
Symptoms of the most common DePuy hip complications include inflammation or swelling, clicking sounds in the device, and pain – which can be severe. These symptoms can be caused by problems such as loosening of the implant, bone fracture, or hip implant dislocation – all relatively common problems associated with DePuy implant systems.
One of the most serious complications related to the device is metallosis, also known as metal poisoning. This occurs when a fine metal dust builds up because the metal-on-metal implant is grinding against itself and metal particles are subsequently dispersed into the patient’s bloodstream. Because of this and many other complications related to the DePuy implant, hundreds of American DePuy hip recipients have filed lawsuits in federal courts related to the device. Thousands more are expected to be filed across the country in the next year.
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