Complications From Wright Hip Replacement Lawyers

Claimants in the United States have brought actions against Wright Medical Technology, Inc., alleging that the company’s metal-on-metal hip replacement implant devices have caused serious injuries. Other claimants have brought actions against companies including Biomet, Depuy, and Stryker, for the alleged design of defective hip implant devices. Many victims suffer extensive pain, from a metal toxicity condition known as metallosis, and from other serious complications. Thousands of patients who have received defective hip implants have filed personal injury lawsuits to recover financial compensation for their injuries.

If you or a loved one has suffered an injury caused by a Wright metal hip implant, you could be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Because personal injury lawsuits are time-limited by applicable statutes of limitation, the sooner you speak to an experienced lawyer, the more likely it is that you will preserve any applicable claims by filing them in a timely manner. The personal injury lawyers at Arnold & Smith, PLLC have a proven track record of helping clients obtain the compensation they deserve. The firm offers potential clients free initial consultations. Contact us to schedule yours today.

When designing their products, hip implant manufacturers believed that metal on metal implants would be beneficial because of their sturdiness and stability. The problems underlying metal on metal implants began to manifest as more and more patients suffered injuries and complications and sought follow-up and revision treatments. The specific types of Wright hip implants that claimants have linked to injuries include:

• Conserve Femoral Hip Surface Replacement;
• Conserve Plus Total Resurfacing Hip System;
• Conserve Total A-Class Advanced Metal;
• Conserve Total Hip System.

These hip implant devices are made of a metal ball—called the femoral head—a metal femoral stem in the thigh bone, and a metal hip that surgeons screw into the hip bone. The ball of the hip joint attaches to the stem. When the metal-on-metal components rub together, the hip implants can shed metal particles.

The metal parts from metal-on-metal hip implants can fail prematurely, even though they were intended to last for decades. Over time, surgeons began noticing that the metal components of the hip implants were corroding as patients moved around in their daily lives. As the parts corrode, metal fragments become embedded in patients’ surrounding tissue. Metal fragments can leak into a patient’s bloodstream, causing a dangerous metal poisoning. The consequences of this dangerous metallosis can cause the following other dangerous conditions:

• Severe pain: Patients who have received defective metal-on-metal hip implants have reported serious and chronic pain in their hip joints and surrounding areas. They may also hear squeaking and popping noises from the devices;

• Loosening of the defective hip implant: As the metal parts of the hip plant begin to corrode, the hip joint itself can stop functioning correctly and become loose;

• Infection: Infection is always a dangerous possibility caused by defective hip implants. An infection can begin in the corroded part of the hip implant and spread through a patient’s bloodstream. Infections can be extremely dangerous, especially when they spread to a patient’s vital organs. Complications from infections can cause serious and long-term problems;

• Pseudo tumors: When metal pieces break off the hip implant and become embedded in the patient’s surrounding tissue, they can cause pseudo tumors and lesions;

• The Need for Revision Surgery: When metal-on-metal hip implants begin to corrode, patients will begin to show symptoms. Most surgeons will recommend diagnostic tests to confirm the diagnosis. They will usually require hip revision surgery to remove the defective hip implants. Hip revision surgeries are more risky and dangerous than an initial hip implant surgery. Surgeons often have to break the implant away from the bone, causing additional tissue damage and fractures. Additionally, hip revision surgeries require more time to recover and heal, causing financial stress.

Thousands of victims of defective metal-on-metal hip implants have filed lawsuits throughout the United States. If you or a loved one has received a metal-on-metal hip implant, you should to speak to an experienced product liability lawyer as soon as possible. The professionals at Arnold & Smith, PLLC have helped many clients throughout the greater Charlotte area recover compensation for their personal injuries. Contact us today to schedule a initial consultation.