Hip replacement surgery is pretty common these days, especially in the population of elderly people. If you have ever experienced problems with pain in your hip, you know how disabling it can be. The chronic nature of this pain can keep one awake during nights and significantly affect ones lifestyle and everyday function.
This is why many people with these symptoms decide to turn to hip replacement surgery. There are several different types of hip implants on the market, depending on the material they are made of. We have plastic, ceramic and metal models of hip implants. For instance, in metal ones both the socket of the joint and the ball are made of the specific metal alloy.
When hip implants are designed, special care is taken to ensure that they last as long as the material itself allows. Nevertheless, some of the hip implants are linked to a variety of safety concerns and durability issues. Since some of these issues have led to injuries and have affected the overall health of patients, the hip implants in question were recalled.
Here is some more information that can help you understand what hip replacement recall is and what injuries can come as a consequence of a bad hip implant.
Problems and Injuries Related to Hip Implants
One of the greatest concerns regarding hip implants is durability. The best material used for hip implants is ceramic since it is by far more durable than both plastic and metal hip implants.
Even though metal implants were advertised as being able to withstand up to 20 years of use, patients have been reporting quite the opposite. It seems that the friction that takes place in the very joint causes the metal socket and ball to wear down at a much high rate.
The doctors have diagnosed the metallosis condition in many patients wearing metallic hip implants. Metallosis causes bone loss, blood poisoning, inflammation, circulatory issues, problems with cognition and other issues. So, what happens with these patients?
If doctors conclude that the hip implant is defective, a patient will go through a revision surgery where the old implant gets replaced with a new and safer model. You should know that every operation bears certain risks of possible nerve damage and infection. After the surgery, physical therapy is unavoidable and, in many cases, the incurred expenses will not be covered by insurance companies.
What is a Hip Replacement Recall?
If a hip implant proves to be a source of harmful effects on the patient’s health and if potentially harmful defects are identified, it will be recalled. This practice is very common in the industry that covers the needs of implant surgery. There were many cases in the past when manufacturers recalled hip replacements due to durability issues.
This is why many manufacturers that were making metallic hip implants have discontinued their hip replacements. The general advice of experts these days is for the patients to avoid metal hips implants. Those that have metal implants should regularly visit their doctors in order to prevent complications connected with wearing this hip implant type.
Hip Implant Lawsuit
There were many lawsuits in the past regarding hip implants and the injuries they have caused. These lawsuits are based on the product liability law, which clearly defines the duty of hip implant manufacturers and sellers. Every hip implant should be free from defects and should not harm patients. Some people were basing their lawsuits on the fact that the implant they are wearing carried defective warnings or was defectively designed.
Fortunately, there are experienced hip implant lawyers specializing in this kind of matter who can help their clients by providing legal counsel. With the help of a lawyer specializing in hip implant lawsuits, people can find out how to proceed and what their legal rights are. Some of the questions you have to ask are:
- Do I have a lawsuit?
- How much time do I have to file a lawsuit after the hip implant has caused the injury?
- Are there any hip implant manufacturers involved in lawsuits? Who are they?
This is all the information on hip replacement recalls and injuries caused by hip implants. While there are a number of options in front of you after you get stuck with a bad implant, it is of utmost importance to learn everything you can about implants before you decide which one to get.