Hip Implants May Sum up to Billions of Dollars

Legal experts and medical specialists approximate that hip problems may cost billions of dollars in the next years. As a result, there will be an increasing cost of health care.  The New York Times published an article predicting that the sum of artificial hips operations would run into the billions.

Various lawsuits have been filed recently by law firms in Australia, UK and the US against DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. in behalf of clients who have undergone hip replacement surgeries. DePuy is a subsidiary company of Johnson and Johnson, which issued a worldwide recall of their products.

After information saying that the devices have defectsin one out of eight clients, the ASR XL Acetabular System and the ASR Hip Resurfacing System were withdrawn. There are about 93,000 recipients of these products worldwide. In 2003, these two designs of artificial hip first rolled out of the factory in 2003 and sold to the public.

DePuy took the implants out from the Australian market  in December 2009. It also announced the recall of these devices in August 2010, approximately eight months after recalling them in Australia. Between 2008 and the time the recall was issued, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have received hundreds of complaints from ASR recipients, many of whom needed to have a second hip replacement surgery.

According to Dr. Stephen Graves, the director of the National Joint Replacement Registry in Australia, “It is a complete untruth that DePuy did not have reason to withdraw the ASR before now; we have been telling them since 2007, but they allowed it to be used on thousands of people.”

Johnson and Johnson have been charged with compensatory claims by their patrons, legal specialists say. They were the victims of DePuy hip implants failures and defects such as loosening, fractures, and displacements.

The signs of artificial hip device defect include:

• Swelling

• Pain bearing weight

• Pain when rising from a seated position

• Pain while walking

• Pain on the thigh or groin area

• Pain on the hip area

In worse cases, complete failure of hip devices happen, resulting in more serious health problems. This take place when:

• the device is not attached to the bone correctly;

• the unit is dislocated and misaligned;

• the bone around the implant is fractured.

Additionally, the malfunctioning hip devices may create an accumulation of toxic metal into the patient’s bloodstream. Pseudotumors may also be developed in the body tissues.

According to legal observers, the DePuy hip replacement recall should serve as a lesson to other device manufacturers to strengthen and certify the safety of their products.

References:

bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-03/johnson-johnson-sued-over-recalled-implanted-hip-replacement-devices.html

arthritistoday.org/news/asr-depuy-hip-replacement-recall078.php

nursinghomesabuseblog.com/defective-products/defects-with-depuy-hip-replacement-hardware-may-be-responsible-for-complications-following-hip-surgury/

What Occurs in Hip Resurfacing

Physical therapy, along with medicines, are the most common treatment options advised for patients with painful and damaged joint, research says.For cases in which conservative treatment give no positive effects, surgical repair is recommended. The total hip replacement (THR) or the hip resurfacing arthroplasty, an alternative procedure, may be advised. However, a medical technology forum finds metal-on-metal hip resurfacing too risky.

Younger patients who have severe hip arthritis are usually advised to undergo hip resurfacing.  Because young patients may need to undergo several revision surgeries, they are advised to undergo hip resurfacing rather than total hip replacement. Possible complications associated with hip revision surgery can be prevented with hip resurfacing and the procedure is thought to preserve more bone.

What happens during the procedure?

The concept of surface replacement, also known as hip resurfacing, originated in the 1970s as an attempt to preserve bone during the implantation of an artificial hip joint. Maintenance of normal bone is seen in hip resurfacing. The whole ball and socket joint is not removed. A metal cap is placed in the area approximate the worn out cartilage.

Two different incisions into the hip joint are carried out by the surgeon. In the anterior approach, access is gained on  the front part of the hip. In the posterior approach, the incision is from the back. There is no one right approach, though. Each approach depends on the training and experience of the surgeon.

The usual length of a hip resurfacing is one and one-half to three hours. The operation starts upon incision of the thigh 15-20 centimeters long. The femoral head will then be dislocated from the socket. Using a specially designed power instrument, the head is cut down.  The cap is placed over the smoothed head. The cartilage that lines the socket is removed with a power tool called a reamer.  With the friction between the bone and the metal to hold it in place, a metal cup is pushed into the socket. The incision is closed once the cup is in place and the femoral head is placed back into the socket.

The patient is transferred to the recovery after the operation where he will be closely monitored by the nurse. Once patient’s vital signs are stable after two hours, he will be transported back to his room.

Experts say that roughly 10-15% of patients who are to have hip replacement may find hip resurfacing a good alternative. Although it is believed that the procedure has lesser complications than THR, it is best to consult a health care provider. | Even if complications may appear less in hip resurfacing than in THR, consultation with a health care provider for careful evaluation is recommended. | While the procedure poses fewer complications than THR, it would be best if you consult a health care provider for a careful assessment.} Included in the discussion between patient and doctor are the surgical approach and the hip implant to be used. The ASR hip system of DePuy Orthopedics is undergoing a worldwide ASR hip replacement recall after studies show that the device was found defective.

Reference:

http://www.hss.edu/conditions_hip-resurfacing-overview.asp

http://www.eorthopod.com/content/hip-resurfacing-arthroplasty

http://www.londonhip.com/resurfacing.html

http://www.jointreaction.co.uk/procedure.php?id=23