ZIMMER HIP IMPLANT INJURY LAWYERS
The attorneys at Davis & Crump are offering free case evaluations to individuals injured by defective Zimmer Durom Cup hip implants. In July, 2008, the manufacturer, Zimmer Holdings, announced it was suspending sales of the Durom Cup hip implant due to a high number of patient complaints. If you or a loved one has been injured by this defective device, we urge you to contact one of our Durom Cup hip implant injury lawyers as soon as possible to discuss your case.
The Durom Cup has been implanted in over 12,000 patients since it was first sold in the United States in 2006. The Durom Acetabular Component is a monoblock cup made of cobal chromium alloy, which is made from a single piece of material. It is designed for use in combination with Zimmer's Metal-on-Metal Tribological Solution LDH (Large Diameter Heads).
The Durom cup was designed for use in young, active patients who are likely to outlive a conventional hip prosthesis. Unfortunately, it has been alleged that patients implanted with this device often experienced crippling pain following surgery, leaving them more disabled than they had been before their hip replacement. Because of such problems, a large percentage of patients receiving the Durom Cup may need to undergo additional surgery to have this allegedly defective component replaced.
Zimmer Ignored Durom Cup Complaints
Possible problems with the Durom Cup hip implant first became apparent in April, 2008, when Los Angeles surgeon, Dr. Lawrence Dorr, publically warned other orthopedists about cup failures his patients were experiencing. According to Dr. Dorr-who was also a highly paid consultant for Zimmer-months after routine hip replacements, patients who had expected to live without pain were in agony.
After informing colleagues in a professional society about his experience with the Durom Cup, Dr. Dorr heard from several other doctors who reported similar problems.
According to Dr. Dorr and other physicians, x-rays of patients who received defective Durom Cups showed that the socket was separating from bone, rather than fusing with it. For patients, who had been told their new hips might last 15 to 20 years, it meant agony as the metal cup moved around in the hip socket and rubbed against bone. Such crippling injuries are devastating, and many Durom cup recipients reported that they were in much worse shape after their surgery than before.
In early 2008, Dr. Dorr reported his concerns about the Durom Cup to executives to Zimmer. The doctor said his complaints fell on deaf ears. Zimmer actually had the audacity to blame Dr. Dorr's techniques for the problems his patients experienced. At the time, Zimmer did nothing to address his concerns.
It is odd that Zimmer would blame Dr. Dorr's skills for the Dorum Cup problems his patients experienced, given that the surgeon was a company consultant. What's more, Dr. Dorr is a veteran of more than 5,000 hip replacement surgeries. At 67, he has been performing these operations for decades.
Zimmer's alleged attempts to blame Dr. Dorr for failures caused by this device indicate that the company may have been more interested in protecting its own bottom line than patient well-being.
Zimmer Finally Suspends Sales of Durom Cup
In April, 2008, after being rebuffed by Zimmer, Dr. Dorr took his concerns to the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons. In late May, Zimmer finally informed surgeons it was investigating Dr. Dorr's complaints but that it did not suspend sales, as the doctor had recommended. While it investigated complaints, roughly 1300 more patients were implanted with the Durom Cup in the U. S.
According to Zimmer's own investigation, some clinics using the Durom Cup experienced failure rates as high as 5.7%. In spite of the evidence that something was amiss with the design of the Durom Cup, Zimmer is still blaming doctors for its high failure rate. It is difficult to believe that so many surgeons could be making the very same mistakes that have led to hundreds of similar patient complaints and injuries.
Despite its contention that the Durom Cup implant is safe, Zimmer has stopped marketing the device in the U. S. The company has also stopped the enrollment of an investigational clinical trial evaluating Durom in hip resurfacing procedures.
Contact a Zimmer Durom Cup Hip Implant Attorney Today.
Davis & Crump is now handling claims for individuals who have been injured by a Zimmer Durom Cup Hip Implant. Davis & Crump is experienced in medical device product liability cases and settlements. If you or a loved one has been injured by a Zimmer Durom Cup Hip Implant, contact us at 1-800-277-0300 or send us an email at info@daviscrump.com.