Many American’s receive joint replacements each year. It is a way for elderly people, and for those who have overused their joints, to get more years of activity and enjoyment out of their lives. Because this procedure has become so routine, many do not question their doctors, or the manufacturers of their joint replacements about the quality of the technology that they are using. This has led to practices that can actually cause injury to you or your loved ones. If you know someone who has received a hip replacement, read on for this important information about the manufacturer Zimmer Durom.
Having your hip replaced is something that has happened to many American’s for a number of reasons. These hip replacements, unfortunately, could have been the faculty ones manufactured by Zimmer Durom. Hip replacement, or hip arthroplasty, is a surgery in which the natural hip joint is replaced by an artificial ones. There are many different conditions for which this surgery is recommended. They include the pain for arthritis which was located in the hip joint. Normal wear on the joint is also a reason, when it affects quality of life. Lastly, hip joints are often replaced after a hip fracture.
The modern hip replacement operation, using such mechanical parts as those manufactured by Zimmer Durom, has been taking place for almost 40 years. This is why it may seem so common place to you, and surprising that there are such issues with the procedure. It involves three pieces, designed to mimic the movements of a natural hip joint. They are the metal replacement for the femur bone, a part designed to mimic the hip joint itself, which can vary from implant to implant, and bone cement or screws to hold it in place.
For those who have had rip replacement, a large fear is needing the replacement replaced. It can cause serious complications in the ability to walk, and is a painful and long process. The Zimmer Durom was designed to avoid that, so that young hip replacement patients could have the one device for the rest of their lives. However, in one clinic, 12 percent of patients needed further replacement surgery in two years, which means the Zimmer Durom device does not work at all how it should. When this information was released, it caused an outcry among doctors.
Though Zimmer Durom has stated that this high failure rate is a caused by surgon error, they stopped selling their hip replacement device in July 2008. In a study funded by the company, fully 8 percent of patients needed a revision within two years. This has led many in the medical and legal communities to believe that the issue is with the replacement device and not with the surgeons.
If you or someone you know has had a hip replacement surgery in the last several years, ask your doctor if it was a Zimmer Durom. If it was, even if you have not had a failure of your hip replacement yet, you may be able to join a class action law suit. If you are contacted by Zimmer Durom, do not sign their legal release, or you may lose this right.
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