Monday, July 6, 2009

Zimmer Durom Hip Replacements Have High Failure Rate

By Maxwell Schmickman

As American's life expectancies grow longer, more and more of our body parts are wearing out before we do. One of the first and most common to go are our joints, especially those located at our hips. Because of years of activity, these joints can become worn down as we age, and must be replaced medically. It's become a very common procedure, and it's likely that you or an older loved one has had a hip replaced. If so, read on please, because there is important information you need to know about hip replacement that have been recalled as faulty, made by the manufacturer Zimmer Durom.

Having your hip replaced is something that has happened to many American's for a number of reasons. These hip replacements, unfortunately, could have been the faculty ones manufactured by Zimmer Durom. Hip replacement, or hip arthroplasty, is a surgery in which the natural hip joint is replaced by an artificial ones. There are many different conditions for which this surgery is recommended. They include the pain for arthritis which was located in the hip joint. Normal wear on the joint is also a reason, when it affects quality of life. Lastly, hip joints are often replaced after a hip fracture.

The modern hip replacement operation, using such mechanical parts as those manufactured by Zimmer Durom, has been taking place for almost 40 years. This is why it may seem so common place to you, and surprising that there are such issues with the procedure. It involves three pieces, designed to mimic the movements of a natural hip joint. They are the metal replacement for the femur bone, a part designed to mimic the hip joint itself, which can vary from implant to implant, and bone cement or screws to hold it in place.

One of the most common issues with hip replacements is the need for revision, or a further surgery to correct issues with the implant. Unfortunately, this is something many elderly and even healthy young patients cannot tolerate. It is the focus of the Zimmer Durom recall. The Zimmer Durom device was used by doctors in younger patients that would normally need a hip replacement, as it was designed to be long lasting. However, almost 12 percent of these patients needed surgery again within two years, prompting an outcry.

Though Zimmer Durom has stated that this high failure rate is a caused by surgon error, they stopped selling their hip replacement device in July 2008. In a study funded by the company, fully 8 percent of patients needed a revision within two years. This has led many in the medical and legal communities to believe that the issue is with the replacement device and not with the surgeons.

So if you or someone you love has received a hip replacement in the last several years, contact your doctor. If it's a Zimmer Durom, be sure to sign nothing they send you, as you may have the right to join a class action law suit, even if your replacement has not yet failed.

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