Hip replacement surgery (hip arthroplasty) has been heralded as one of the greatest medical advancements of the past forty years. It has improved the quality of life for millions of people by helping them overcome painful arthritis and recover from hip fractures. Yet, a growing number of implant recipients have experienced implant failure and other complications associated with their hip replacements.
Advances in hip replacement technology have made hip arthroplasty one of the most common orthopedic procedures today, even in patients younger than 55.
The design limitations of hip replacements were pushed as they began to be used on younger, more active patients. Stronger materials have been utilized to simulate the natural motion of the hip joint. Now that these new designs have made implants available to a broader patient base, complications are increasingly more commonplace and sometimes more severe.
Particle Debris from Hip Implants
In total hip replacement/resurfacing, the new cup and the new ball/covering can lead to complications and implant failure. With every step, the surfaces of these two components rub together and the friction causes debris to be produced-as much as 100,000 to 1 million particles of debris with every movement. The type of debris depends on the materials used, and affects the type of complications suffered by a recipient.
Metallosis occurs when metallic debris builds up in the soft tissue surrounding the hip joint. Metallosis can lead to metal poisoning in patients with metal sensitivity and has been linked to several hip replacement complications, including:
- Severe joint pain
- Implant loosening or failure
- Local tissue necrosis
- Deterioration of bone around the implant
- Formation of cysts or pseudotumors
- Osteolysis
Cognitive problems, severe headaches, nervous system issues and emotional imbalance can occur if blood metal ion levels become too elevated.
Periprosthetic osteolysis is the loss of bone around the hip replacement. It is the most common long-term hip replacement complication and the cause of nearly 75 percent of implant failures. Osteolysis occurs when the body recognizes the implant as foreign and attempts to clean up particle debris by releasing enzymes and causing a chronic inflammatory condition.
Hip arthroplasty is viewed as a routine procedure and is performed over 450,000 times a year in the U.S. However, the side effects and complications associated with hip replacement can be very dangerous-even deadly. In addition to metallosis and osteolysis, others complications include;
- Dislocation
- Heterotopic ossification
- Infection
- Avascular necrosis
- Component loosening
- Periprosthetic fractures
- Mortality rate of up to 2.5 percent for patients undergoing a revision surgery
Hip Replacement Lawsuit Attorneys
If you or someone you love has been harmed after receiving a metal-on-metal hip replacement, it is important to act quickly. The national hip replacement lawsuit attorneys at Phillips Law Firm can help. We represent patients across the United States who have been injured or hurt from a hip replacement.
If you are interested in learning more about your legal options, call us at 1-800-708-6000. Our hip replacement lawsuit attorneys are waiting to assist you 24/7, offering a free case evaluation. Remember our no fee promise. If we do not recover anything for you, you do not owe us an attorney fee.
