Joint replacement has become a normal fact of life for many people. As we get older, and our life expectancies grow longer, joints are subject to more wear and tear than they used to be. This means that in many cases, for continued activity and quality of life, these joints need to be replaced. Because this has become such a common opportation, most of us don’t question the choice of manufacturer made by our doctor for ourselves and our parents, leading to serious issues that can cause injury. If you or someone you know has gotten a hip replacement, keep reading about a recall from Zimmer Durom, a manufacturer.
There are many reasons that you or a loved one may have received a Zimmer Durom hip replacement, leading to danger for yourself of your loved ones. Hip replacement, also known as hip arthroplasty, is a common procedure in which the hip joint is removed and replaced by a prosthetic implant. This can be done for a variety of reasons, which include the pain of arthritis which was affecting the joint, damage to the joint over a long life, or the treatment of a hip fracture, an injury common to the elderly.
The modern hip replacement operation has been taking place since the 1970’s, which is why the idea may seem so commonplace to you. A hip replacement, such as those from Zimmer Durom, most commonly involves three separate pieces, designed to mimic how a natural knee joint would. They include a metal replacement for part of the femur. A component which allows for movement like the joint naturally would, and either bone cement or screws to hold the contraption in place.
If you have had hip replacement surgery, than you know that one of the biggest problems is the need for revision, or further surgery to solve problems with the prosthesis. This can cause serious damage to a patient’s ability to walk, and is painful, time consuming, and expensive. The Zimmer Durom device was marketed exactly for its ability to avoid this problem, and to last longer than most prosthetics, so that younger patients could wear the device for the rest of their lives. However, in one study, 12 percent of patients needed revision in under two years, causing a medical community outcry.
Though Zimmer Durom has stated that this high failure rate is a caused by surgon error, they stopped selling their hip replacement device in July 2008. In a study funded by the company, fully 8 percent of patients needed a revision within two years. This has led many in the medical and legal communities to believe that the issue is with the replacement device and not with the surgeons.
So if you or someone you love has received a hip replacement in the last several years, contact your doctor. If it’s a Zimmer Durom, be sure to sign nothing they send you, as you may have the right to join a class action law suit, even if your replacement has not yet failed.
