Dallas Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Blog
ProFemur Hip Implant Complications. Today I am going to address the Profemur metal-on-metal (MoM) hip fiasco, the premature failure of the implant, and the need for painful and costly revision surgery.
ProFemur Hip Implant Complications include sudden fracture leading to falls and the need for emergency painful revision surgery. Injured? Call Dr. Shezad Malik Law Firm at 214-390-3189.
My focus in this article is the Wright Profemur hips which continue to suddenly fracture at an alarming rate, leading to severe pain, immediate lack of mobility, increased risk of falls, and the expensive emergency revision surgery that is needed to fix the broken hip implant.
What’s the Wright ProFemur Hip Implant?
The Wright Profemur Total Hip System is a modular implant, consisting of a femoral stem, a modular neck, and a femoral head, connected to a metal acetabular cup.
The Wright ProFemur Hip Implant is a type of hip replacement system designed and manufactured by Wright Medical Technology, Inc. It’s part of a category of orthopedic implants used in hip replacement surgeries, also known as total hip arthroplasty.
ProFemur Distinct Design
The ProFemur Hip System is intended to replace the hip joint in patients suffering from conditions like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, avascular necrosis, or traumatic arthritis, which causes significant hip pain and mobility issues.
The ProFemur Hip System is distinctive for its modular design, allowing surgeons to customize the implant to fit the specific anatomical needs of each patient. This modularity comes from the ability to select from a range of femoral stem sizes, neck lengths, and head sizes, which can help achieve a better fit and potentially improve the implant’s longevity and performance.
Unfortunately, like many other metal hip implants, the Wright ProFemur Hip System has been subjected to increasing scrutiny over the years. There have been many reports of complications and failures associated with the implant, including issues related to the modular neck components.
These problems can lead to severe outcomes for patients, such as implant loosening, fracturing, dislocation, metallosis (metal debris causing tissue and bone damage), and the need for revision surgery to replace or fix the implant.
Due to these complications, there have been legal actions and recalls affecting certain components of the ProFemur Hip System. Patients experiencing problems with their Wright ProFemur hip implants have pursued litigation to seek compensation for their injuries, medical expenses, and other damages.
- Modular Neck Fractures: One of the significant problems reported with the ProFemur hip system is the fracture of the modular neck piece. The ProFemur hip system’s design includes a modular neck that allows surgeons to customize the implant to the patient’s anatomy. However, this modular neck has been prone to fracturing under normal use, leading to sudden implant failure and necessitating emergency revision surgery.
- Metallosis: Metallosis is a condition where there is a buildup of metallic debris in the soft tissues of the body, caused by the metal-on-metal contact within the implant. For the ProFemur line, friction between the metal components can release metal particles into the surrounding tissue, leading to inflammation, pain, tissue necrosis, and bone loss. This can severely affect the patient’s health and require additional surgery to address the issue.
- Implant Loosening and Dislocation: Some patients have reported loosening or dislocation of the ProFemur hip implant. These complications can cause significant pain, decreased mobility, and may require revision surgery to correct.
- Need for Revision Surgery: Due to the issues mentioned above, many patients with ProFemur hip implants have undergone revision surgeries to replace or repair the faulty implants. Revision surgeries are generally more complex and carry a higher risk than the initial hip replacement surgery.
These problems have led to a number of lawsuits filed by patients who experienced complications from their Wright ProFemur hip implants. The legal actions often claim that Wright Medical Technology failed to adequately test the implants, did not sufficiently warn patients and healthcare providers of the risks, and marketed a defective product.
Wright Medical agreed to two settlements totaling $330 million to resolve hundreds of lawsuits over its hip-replacement implants. After the final settlement, a federal court closed the multidistrict litigation against Wright in June 2018.
Who is Wright Medical Technology?
Wright Medical Technology, Inc. is a global medical device company specializing in the design, manufacture, and marketing of products for the orthopedic sector, focusing particularly on extremity and biologic solutions. Wright sold its hip and knee implant division, including the Profemur, to Chinese company MicroPort for $285 million in 2013.
Specifically, the transaction involved the purchase of Wright’s OrthoRecon business, which included hip and knee implants. The remaining entity Wright Medical was acquired by Stryker Corporation, another orthopedic company. This acquisition, completed in late 2020.
ProFemur Lawsuits and Recalls
In 2020, MicroPort Orthopedics the new owner of Wright Medical, recalled all available Profemur modular necks, including titanium and cobalt-chromium options.The recall was a FDA Class 1 Device Recall, the most serious type of recall. The recall states that the Profemur Titanium modular neck has been reported to fracture after implantation in certain cases. Hospitals and distributors were told to stop using the recall and return it to the manufacturer immediately.
Wright Medical settled over $330 million in two lawsuits regarding its Profemur hip devices. The first lawsuit was tried in 2015 and the final settlement was reached in 2018.
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Chronic painA common symptom of titanium toxicity from hip replacement surgery is chronic pain, which can affect the hip, thigh, and knee area. The pain can persist for several months or years.
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Bimetallic corrosionThe cobalt-chromium neck can rub against the stem’s titanium socket, leading to a form of bimetallic corrosion that can cause pain and swelling. This can also leak small amounts of metal ions into a patient’s bloodstream.
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Crevice corrosionCemented titanium implants have a potential for crevice corrosion leading to cortical hypertrophy and intractable pain.
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Metal-on-metal (MoM) implantsMoM implants have a much shorter lifespan than artificial hips, failing after five years in some patients. They’re also linked to a growing list of other problems, including bone and tissue destruction and high levels of metal ions in the blood.
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PainPain is a symptom of many metal-on-metal implant side effects, such as dislocation, bone damage, muscle damage, pseudotumors, or infection.
If you or a loved one had a Wright Conserve or Profemur Metal on Metal Hip Implant and have suffered Profemur Hip Implant fracture injuries or needed premature revision surgery with the device, contact the attorneys at Dr. Shezad Malik Law Firm to learn more about your legal rights. You can speak with one of our representatives by calling 214-390-3189, or by filling out the case evaluation form on this page.
Our law firm’s principal office is in Dallas and we have offices in Fort Worth, Texas. Dr Shezad Malik Law Firm represents clients in dangerous drug and dangerous medical device lawsuits nationwide.
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