Metal-on-Metal Hip Implant Failure Could be Detected by MRI

Since the August 2010 recall of DePuy’s ASR hip implant, metal-on-metal hip implants have been the subject of numerous safety concerns and lawsuits. In 2011, the Food and Drug Administration began to review the safety of all-metal hip implants due to numerous concerns that metal ions could leach into the blood stream and cause serious health complications and early device failure. Just last week, Johnson & Johnson announced that it was ceasing the sales of all metal-on-metal hip implants, including their popular Pinnacle hip implant. Now, a new study has indicated that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could be used to predict if a metal-on-metal hip implant is about to fail—even before patients experience any serious symptoms or side effects. In the study, MRI detected tissue damage in 68% of asymptomatic patients and 78% of patients who were experiencing unexplained pain. This study is encouraging for thousands of hip implant patients who are left wondering about the safety of their implants. Early detection of hip implant failure may spare some of these patients from experiencing gruesome and painful side effects. Metal-on-metal hip implant patients who have already begun to experience side effects have reported metallosis, hip implant failure, soft tissue damage, extreme pain, damage to surrounding bone, nerve damage, cardiomyopathy, renal impairment, thyroid dysfunction, and more. Patients who have received a metal-on-metal hip implant should discuss their medical options with a qualified physician even if they are asymptomatic. An MRI may be needed to determine if your hip implant is close to failure. In addition, your doctor may need to monitor your blood for signs of metallosis.

Metal-on-Metal Hip Recall Lawsuit Attorneys

At Phillips Law Firm, our national defective device attorneys understand the complexities surrounding multi-district litigation cases and defective medical products. We also know the pain and suffering that these devices have caused and will fight aggressively to ensure that all of our clients receive the compensation to which they are entitled. If you have been injured by a metal-on-metal hip implant, contact our offices to see if you qualify to file a lawsuit. Call us today at 1-800-708-6000.  

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