Hip replacement surgery is rapidly becoming one of the most common joint replacement operations carried out in the United States and around the world. As the procedure has become more prominent in New Mexico and elsewhere, the makeup of the joints themselves has evolved from the metal on metal joints that had been used in years passed. Those joints were widely hailed as being beneficial for active patients but ended up causing numerous problems that led to product liability lawsuits.
One such case involves a man who by age 35 was suffering from a disease that had damaged his hip joints to the extent that he required a double hip replacement. In 2011 he received a double hip replacement and the joints used were metal-on-metal that were developed by a company called Biomet. He remained pain-free for six years but then began experiencing severe pain. It was found that the artificial joints were damaging the bone and that the patient also had metal in his blood stream. The artificial joints were removed and the patient filed a lawsuit against Biomet.
In 2011, the FDA issued a warning regarding metal-on-metal artificial hip joints that specifically named two manufacturers but not Biomet. The FDA said the warning was intended to cover all brands of the metal joints, not just the two specified. Biomet stopped making the joints in 2014.
There are many product liability lawsuits regarding the metal-on-metal joints pending. Hip replacement surgery is a major procedure that can result in a prolonged recovery process involving extensive physical therapy and time away from work. Having to experience this twice can lead to major hardship. A successful civil suit in New Mexico against the manufacturer of a faulty device could result in compensation for medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering and other verifiable losses.
