The Zimmer Durom Cup Hip Implant: Success and Failure

Since its inception in 2003, the Zimmer Durom Cup Hip Implant has seen both the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Thousands of surgeries have been performed with it in Europe with an exceptionally high rate of success. In the United States, however, where its sales didn’t start until 2006, the implants have been far less successful. Hundreds of patients have experienced problems with their implants that have necessitated further surgery. Lawsuits abound, and the Zimmer Holdings Company has placed American sales on hold until such time as the problems can be ironed out.

Physicians have made claims that the Zimmer Cup is defective, a fact that they say has led to hundreds of patients who are now facing replacement surgery within the next few years. Zimmer, however, holds that there is nothing wrong with their implant. Instead, they claim the problem lies in the methods surgeons have been using to do the implants. They say that the surgeons did not receive the training they needed prior to doing implant surgeries, and therefore, the implants have failed. Although Zimmer has not accepted responsibility for the problem, it did voluntarily suspend sales of the device in the United States until such time as surgeons can receive the training they need to perform successful implants.

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.

Patients who suffer ill effects from surgical implants are protected by laws in most U.S. states which say they are entitled to compensation for the pain they endured, all of the extra medical bills they incurred, and the wages they have lost and stand to lose in the future. Under these laws, patients can be compensated if the orthopedic device used in the surgery can be proven to be at fault. With this in mind, hundreds of patients have now filed lawsuits against Zimmer as well as the surgeons who performed the operations. Both sides are still blaming the other, and the court battles are still raging.

The idea of replacing defective hip bones and sockets isn’t a new one. Clear back in 1891 surgeons recorded doing surgeries using ivory devices in attempts to replace the femoral head that fits into the hip socket. In 1960, Dr. San Baw of Burma pioneered a method of using ivory to replaced broken hip bones. During the 20 year period that followed, Dr. Baw claimed an 88% success rate in the 300+ replacement surgeries that he performed.

During the 1970s a man named John Charnley was a pioneer in the development of a 3-part artificial hip joint. This innovative device, or some adaptation of it, was then used by surgeons for over 20 years. By 2003 Zimmer Holdings had introduced its Durom Cup implant in Europe, and it soon came to be known as the best implant on the market.

While hip replacement surgery and the replacement devices used have improved remarkably from the early years, the operation is still far from foolproof. The most common problem when using a Zimmer Durom Cup implant is that it is somewhat smaller than the original human joint and can slip out of the socket, especially if it isn’t implanted correctly. Implants are also prone to loosening over time and infections can set in. In spite of these risks, doctors still recommend the surgery for people with seriously damaged hip joints.

Zimmer can only hope to win the lawsuits that have been filed against it and be able to market their Durom Cup more successfully in the U.S. in the future. They still believe that their device can make a positive difference in the lives of many people if used correctly.