Metal-on-metal hip replacements such as the DePuy Pinnacle have been in the news* frequently because of hip lawsuits related to the devices’ alleged side effects, such as metal poisoning. The Rottenstein Law Group, a DePuy Pinnacle law firm, notes that pending Pinnacle lawsuits in federal courts are numbering almost 4,000, according to court documents in In re: DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. Pinnacle Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation – MDL No. 2244.

The nationwide lawsuits are managed as a consolidation called “multidistrict litigation” in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. That the number of lawsuits has reached nearly 4,000 is not a surprise to Rottenstein Law Group Principal Rochelle Rottenstein.

“On a daily basis we receive calls from those who believe their metal-on-metal hip implants such as the DePuy Pinnacle have injured them,” Rottenstein said. “It is only appropriate that the issue be decided in the court system.”

Read full story at PRWeb.com: DePuy Pinnacle Lawsuit Update: Rottenstein Law Group Notes That Number of Pending Pinnacle Lawsuits Reaches Nearly 4,000


The possibility of being permanently confined in a wheelchair is now being faced by a man from Philadelphia, leading news reports say, after he underwent hip revision surgery. The man filed a complaint in the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia with claims against Johnson & Johnson’s DePuy Orthopaedics. The plaintiff has had a hip revision done to replace the damaged hip implant.


However, he was informed thereafter that he might not be able to walk properly and may be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Now he is claiming that the manufacturer is liable of the damages done by its devices and is raring to receive payment for damages.

 

Read more at:

Pinnacle Plaintiff Sues DePuy, Faces Confinement to Wheelchair From Injuries

_Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are prone of dying due to cardiac disease, the Science Daily reports, quoting findings from a recent study. However, "use of robotics in hip replacement surgery lowers margin of error".

The risk of cardiovascular disease among patients with RA is caused by disease-related inflammation as well as the risk factors which affect the general population, according to the latest study published in BioMed Central's open access journal Arthritis Research & Therapy. Treatment of arthritis with disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) also reduced the patient's risk of heart disease, the Science Daily says.

The findings formed part of a five-year-old study conducted among 400 patients with RA. Development of their ailment was measured by chemical markers of soreness and physical appearance. Treatment routines were closely supervised along with risk factors for heart disease, including weight, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, diabetes and smoking, according to the Science Daily.

After five years, 97 percent of the patients had been treated with DMARDs, dropping both the chemical markers of inflammation and the physical appearance of their arthritis. Patients were also looking after themselves better. Fewer patients were smokers and their BMI and blood pressure, had reduced (due in part to treatment for high blood pressure).

Analysis of patient data revealed that a new cardiovascular event such as heart disease, stroke or DVT could be predicted by intensity of their arthritis and by presence of diabetes, high blood pressure, and the level of triglycerides. Encouragingly treatment with DMARDs decreased the risk but COX-2 inhibitors appeared to predict a new event, Science Daily suggests.

Dr Wållberg-Jonsson from University Hospital, Umeå, in Sweden says that the swelling linked  with RA  raises the patients' risk of heart disease and other cardiovascular events. However it is possible to reduce this risk in a two-pronged attack by treating both the inflammation and traditional risk factors for heart disease, the Science Daily says.

RA is considered as a chronic disease, which means a disease that is impossible to cure. The patient may feel warm to the touch and might notice a decreased range of motion, as well as inflammation, swelling and pain in the areas around the affected joints, according to the Arthritis.org website.

Although, evidence shows that early diagnosis and aggressive treatment to put the disease into remission is the best means of avoiding joint destruction, organ damage and disability may lead  to implantation and later on the filing of a "DePuy Pinnacle Lawsuit".

URL REFERENCES:

arthritis.org/types-what-is-rheumatoid-arthritis.php
web.jbjs.org.uk/content/84-B/7/991.full.pdf

With the breakthroughs in technology, innovations are introduced and that includes metal-on-metal implants. Hip implants are among one of the pioneers in the field that can benefit those with severe hip problems especially the elderly. With hip deterioration, the need to find a prosthetic device for the diseased hip joints that could withstand the wear and tear overtime is on the rise. The goal is to make devices that can be permanent to avoid revision surgery hence saving time, money and effort. However, errors cannot be avoided like the issues the DePuy Pinnacle hip replacement system is facing. In fact, you may want to look at this DePuy Pinnacle hip replacement system report made by the Food and Drug Administration.

What is a Metal-on-metal Hip Device?

Metal-on-metal Hip Device is among one of the 4 device options currently available in the US for total hip replacement. The device is made up of metal with the ball, stem and shell as parts. Titanium and Cobalt-chrome are two most commonly used metals in metal-on-metal devices. There is no report on which metal is better but cobalt-chrome is known to be used for almost 65 years on orthopaedic devices with less reports of allergies and/or rejections. When it was first introduced in the US in 2002, it was considered as a huge breakthrough. Cobalt-chrome was the metal used in making the firstmetal-on-metal device.

Some companies like DePuy designed their metal-on-metal device to have an appeal on the youth and the active because of the durability.

Advantages of a Metal-on-metal Hip Device

Metal-on-metal devices are considered the most durable and can last for a long time if given proper care. Metal-on-metal device has  a number of advantages such as the following:

• Greater freedom of activity
• Less chances of being dislocated
•  Less total material removed (compared to other devices) when there is friction between the ball and socket
• Believed to last a relative longer period of time (at least 15 years) so a revision surgery or another hip replacement won’t be necessary
  

Concerns on Metal-on-metal Devices

Though it has benefits, the cons were also raised regarding metal-on-metal devices because some can do harm to the individual. Among the concerns raised is the development of metal toxicity as a result of metal particles wearing off due to friction upon movement. Over time, the metal particles can be a possible cause of injury to the bone and the tissues around and this phenomenon is called adverse local tissue reaction (ALTR). This phenomenon may be the cause of loosening of the implants which may need revision surgery. Such reports were made by individuals who filed a DePuy Pinnacle Lawsuit.

References:
www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfMAUDE/detail.cfm?mdrfoi__id=1933948
www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfMAUDE/detail.cfm?mdrfoi__id=1932627
www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfMAUDE/detail.cfm?mdrfoi__id=1823546
www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/ImplantsandProsthetics/MetalonMetalHipImplants/default.htm
www.hopkinsbayview.org/jointeffort/questionsabouthipreplacement.html