Dallas Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Blog
Profemur Hip Implant Fracture. Today I am going to discuss the sad state of affairs regarding Profemur metal-on-metal (MoM) hips, the early failure, and the need for painful and costly revision surgery.
Metal on Metal hip implants fail prematurely at a high rate and may need a revision surgery to correct. Injured? Call Dr. Shezad Malik at 214-390-3189
The focus of this piece is on Wright’s line of Profemur hips which continue to fracture at an alarming rate. 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.
Hip Implants are a Big Business
Hip replacement is big business and the major orthopedic manufacturers all want a piece of this lucrative pie. In the early 2000s, there was a rush to market of inadequately tested MoM implants. The MoM implants were the result of an innovative idea that assumed that MoM hip implants to be longer lasting than traditional hip implants. Reality in real life did not match expectations.
According to the American College of Rheumatology, orthopedic surgeons perform over 450,000 hip replacements each year in the U.S. Hip replacements are considered safe and reliable, and they provide patients pain relief, reduce inflammation, and improve mobility. Patients look forward to the opportunity to be active again. Beats the alternative of being either bed-bound or sitting in an armchair all day long.
Hip Implant can be a Nightmare
The dream of becoming mobile and active again soon became a nightmare for patients with failed or defective MoM hips.
There are many causes of failed hip implants, including defective design, errors in manufacturing, or packaging, and even device changes without FDA approval. Having a failed MoM hip usually means that patients have to undergo complex, painful revision surgery. Having a second or third hip surgery means that it takes longer to recover than the initial surgery.
As is usually the case, defective hip replacements have failed within a couple of years rather than lasting at least 10 to 20 years.
High Cost of Hip Implant
A defective hip implant causes nerve and tissue damage, long recovery times, increased risk of infections, metal poisoning known as metallosis, and bone fractures.
Hip Implant Manufacturers are Negligent
The main reason why these hip implants fail is because of the negligence of hip implant manufacturers. Having been injured by these defective hip implants, thousands of patients have filed hip implant lawsuits to be compensated for medical bills, pain and suffering, and a decreased quality of life.
The product liability lawsuits all share a common thread, with similar injuries and comparable causes of failure. The hip implant devices being made of cobalt, chromium, and titanium alloy undergo a chemical reaction leading to corrosion, fracturing, and fretting, in many cases, shortly after the initial surgery.
Over the past 15 years, thousands of defective hip implant lawsuits have been settled or awarded compensation in the trial. However, many defective hip implant cases are ongoing, and new negligence lawsuits will be filed in 2024. As a group, hip implant manufacturers have shelled out billions of dollars in compensation, both in state and federal court actions.
Profemur Hip Implant Fracture
Wright Medical made a line of innovative hip implants, known as the Profemur. After lawsuits began to appear over the high rate of fractures, the company then was sold to a Chinese manufacturer called Microport in 2013.
While thousands of Profemur hip implant fracture lawsuits were settled in both state and federal court, lawsuits are still pending. The modular neck stem part of the Profemur hip implant began fracturing and snapping in the early 2000s, but it wasn’t recalled until 2020.
In 2017, Profemur hip implant fracture lawsuits against Wright Medical (original manufacturer) and MicroPort (current manufacturer) settled for a combined total of $330 million. Since then, other defective Profemur hip cases have settled for undisclosed amounts.
According to a recent People Magazine article, Bradley Little, a teacher from Mesa, Arizona, suddenly collapsed in the hallway of the middle school where he taught, he learned that the accident was caused by a failed Profemur hip implant.
In a report by CBS News and KFF Health News, a metal part from the artificial implant in his right hip had suddenly snapped, causing him to fall.
Little’s Profemur implant was a titanium device that came in multiple sizes to ensure a better, more custom fit for each patient. It had a 2-inch long “neck” that connected his leg to his hip, and unlike other implants, the neck detached at both ends to adjust the angle to better fit the patient.
CBS News and KFF Health News, reports that there have been “180 lawsuits filed in federal court in the past decade alleging Profemur modular necks broke or corroded.”
Some plaintiffs say they got Profemur implants in both legs — then they both ended up breaking. Mark Feld, 75, of New Hampshire, who was an avid runner, said he was implanted with Profemur artificial hips in his right and left legs in 2005 and 2008, then the right hip fractured within 10 years. Wright Medical denied liability in court filings and settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.
Injured by Wright Profemur Hip Implant? Contact Dr. Shezad Malik Law Firm
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.