Zimmer Durom Cup

Joint replacement is becoming more common as the population gets older. There is a great deal of competition among medical device manufacturers trying to find new technologies to extend the life of joint replacement prosthetics used in hip and knee surgery.

Many manufacturers tried to develop long-wearing joints by replacing prosthetic joint parts made of materials that wear out with metal parts. These joint replacements are called metal-on-metal replacement joints. Unfortunately, most companies that have introduced these devices have had major problems with them.

Zimmer Hip Implant Recall

Zimmer is no exception. In 2006, it introduced the Zimmer Durom Cup hip implants. Nearly 12,000 patients had the implant surgery for this device before its recall two years later in 2008 due to an unusually high failure rate. In fact, not only did the hip replacements fail, but also patients had to undergo a second surgery in order to remove the failed device and replace it with a different one.

What’s Wrong With the Zimmer Durom Hip Implant

Zimmer’s Durom Cup hip implant was of the newer type of metal-on-metal prosthesis. It also had a special plasma coating that was designed to promote bone growth. The plasma induced bone growth allowed the implant to take hold without needing any cement.

Unfortunately, the plasma did not always work as designed so patients complained of pain as no new bone grew around the implant to hold it in place. These patients had to undergo another surgery and painful recovery to remove and replace the Zimmer Durom Cup device. Symptoms of Zimmer Durom Cup hip implant failure includes sharp pain in the hip and back and decreased mobility. If you have a Zimmer Durom Implant and experience any of these symptoms, contact your orthopedic doctor immediately. If your surgeon has to replace your hip implant, ask that it be saved, as it may be needed as evidence of Zimmer’s wrongdoing in court.

Legal Issues

Manufacturers have an obligation to protect medical device users from injury from their products. In the case of Zimmer, an experienced defective medical products attorney can help you file a claim under the legal theory of strict liability. This means that you do not have to prove that Zimmer injured you on purpose or was negligent. What you will have to prove is:

• Zimmer manufactured an “unreasonably dangerous” product
• When the product left Zimmer’s control, the dangerous condition existed
• That Zimmer’s product defect caused the injury

If you were injured by Zimmer’s Durom Cup hip implant you might be able to recover monetary damages that include past and future medical expenses, past and future lost wages, and compensation for pain and damages. In some cases, monetary awards for punitive damages may also be awarded. Punitive damages are designed to make companies not want to sell products that might result in injury.

If you or someone you care about had a Zimmer Durom Cup hip implant in recent years and now suffer loss of mobility or hip and/or back pain go to your orthopedist immediately. If your hip replacement medical device is at fault, contact an experienced medical product liability attorney to protect your legal rights and possibly receive a monetary award.