Because of Failures, Durom Implants Recalled

As we start to get older, every day it can feel like there’s a new twinge of pain. Part of this pain is just the natural aging process, as our body looses some of the ability to recover that we’ve always prized. But for some, this pain takes the form of joint deterioration, and moves from the everyday aches into a realm that is debilitating.

If you’ve ever had joint pain bad enough for the need or a replacement, you know how difficult it can be to have so much pain that even walking within your own home can become impossible. This is why artificial replacements for knee and hip joints were invented. If you have had a hip replaced, keep reading for more information on the Durom implant recall.

Zimmer holdings has released a recall of their Zimmer Durom cup hip implant.  There are Zimmer hip lawsuits pending in multiple states across the US.  If you or a loved on has been subject to a Zimmer Durom implant, then you may want to contact a Zimmer Hip Lawyer to see if you have a case.

If you have always led an active lifestyle and stayed healthy, it can come as a shock when your hip joint begins to deteriorate. This is because unlike other age related health problems, being more active can actually lead to early and more severe hip joint problems that require a hip replacement, such as the Durom implant. For someone later in life, a hip replacement can be a great way to get more active years that have a higher quality of life. But if you are younger when you begin to have issues with your hip joint, in your fifties or early sixties, you face the prospect of one or more future surgeries to ensure that your hip continues to function.

This is the reason that the Durom implant was invented, and how it was sold to doctors as the right solution for their patients. A standard hip replacement will begin to wear and need replacement itself within ten years. This means that for a younger patient, they could need as many as three surgeries, and their replacements themselves need replacement. This is a huge burden for a patient to face. The Durom implant was designed to be longer lasting, so that instead of needing to be replaced, it could continue to function for a much longer period, avoiding the need for further surgery, and making it a good solution for younger patients.

Unhappily for patients who received the Durom implant with these claims, this promise has not held up to scrutiny. At one clinic where the implants were used, twelve percent of those patients receiving them needed to have them removed and replaced within two years. This is a failure rate that is much higher than a standard implant, and is much worse than the promise of the company. They chalk the high rate up to surgeon error, but in the controlled setting of their clinical tests, the implants failed within two years for seven percent of patients, which is still very high.

Because of the high failure rate of the Durom implant, a class action law suit is being considered for those with failed implants, or for those who have this type of implant which has not yet failed. If you or a loved one has received a hip implant before July 2008, contact your doctor.