This is why joint replacements were invented, to give people back mobility and quality of life, while reducing pain.  If you or someone you know has had their hip replaced, keep reading this article for important information on the Durom implant recall.

If you have always led an active lifestyle and stayed healthy, it can come as a shock when your hip joint begins to deteriorate.  This is because unlike other age related health problems, being more active can actually lead to early and more severe hip joint problems that require a hip replacement, such as the Durom implant.  For someone later in life, a hip replacement can be a great way to get more active years that have a higher quality of life.  But if you are younger when you begin to have issues with your hip joint, in your fifties or early sixties, you face the prospect of one or more future surgeries to ensure that your hip continues to function.

The need for replacement of the first hip replacement was the reasoning behind the Durom implant, and how it was marketed to doctors.  While a standard hip replacement will begin to wear and need to be replaced within ten years, the Durom implant was supposedly designed with the younger patient in mind to be long lasting even under an active lifestyle.  This would mean that instead of facing the prospect of two or more surgeries related to their hip, a younger patient could have only one replacement surgery, and use the same hip replacement implant for life.  As a younger patient, this was sure to sound like the ideal solution.

Unfortunately for patients who have received a Durom implant, this promise has not held true.  At a clinic where the implants were used, an astoundingly high twelve percent of patients needed their replacements removed and replaced in under two years.  This is a much shorter time span than the traditional replacement, and is no where near the claims made by the Zimmer Durom company.  While the company denounced the high rate as surgeon error, in their own studies done under ideal conditions, the replacements failed seven percent of the time, which is still an amazingly high number.

If you or a loved on received a hip replacement before June of 2008, it is time to contact your doctor to see if it was a Durom implant.  If so, you may be able to join a class action lawsuit against the company.

Joints that were designed to work for forty years are now being called upon to operate for much longer.  For many patients, this means that a joint replacement is needed, such as a hip replacement.  If you know someone who has had a hip replacement, or have had one yourself, read on to find out more information about a recall of the Zimmer hip implant.

As we age, activities that we once took for granted become what can be a painful chore.  Some pain and soreness is natural.  As our body ages, it does not function in its peak condition.  But for many, the pain associated with standing, walking, or sitting becomes unbearable because of irreversible damage to their hip joint.  What were once active people become couch potatoes, unable to do even the simplest activities.  And it is for these people that Zimmer hip implants targeted, to give them back some of their motion and independence, to allow them to live full and active lives.

A hip replacement can give a patient a new lease on life, and allow them to get back to their normal interests and activities.  However, because it is a mechanical replacement, it does need to be replaced itself, normally within ten years.  For older patients, this may not be a concern, but for a younger patient in their 50’s or 60’s, this means that one or more further difficult surgeries may be needed.  The Zimmer hip implant was marketed with the promise that it was different.  It was targeted to younger patients under the slogan that it would not need to be replaced itself, avoiding the need for further surgery.

The claim by the Zimmer hip implant representatives that it is long lasting have not at all stood the test of time.  In one test clinic, fully twelve percent of patients receiving this implant needed to have their replacement replaced within two years.  This means that not only did the implant fail, it did so quickly, meaning that patients told they would need only one surgery faced the fast prospect of another, and possibly of a third within their lifetime.

The Zimmer Durom Company denies that their Zimmer hip implant is prone to failure.  But in their internal testing, seven percent of patients needed the replacement replaced within two years.  This is still an astounding rate of failure.  It was enough for the company to pull the product in July 2008.  If you have had a hip replacement, ask your doctor if it’s a Zimmer hip implant.  If it was, and you have problems, you could be able to sue.

A hip replacement is designed to allow the natural use of the legs during walking, sitting, or standing, allowing for more natural, comfortable movement.  If you or someone you love has had a hip replacement procedure, read on for recall news about the Zimmer hip implant.

When we age, parts of our body that have been serving us well for years begin to slow and ache, due to years of use and abuse.  This is, of course, a natural part of aging.  But for many older Americans, the pain in their hips becomes unbearable, so bad in fact that they cannot walk or stand for long periods.  This means that they are unable to care for themselves properly, or enjoy the activities they once loves.  It is for these patients that the Zimmer hip implant was invented.  With a proper hip replacement, patients such as these can become active again, meaning that they can lead longer, healthier lives.

Hip replacements have revolutionized the way that many Americans live their daily lives, and has allowed a great number to do so without pain.  But because they are a mechanical replacement, they are known to fail, often within ten years.  This means that at an even older age, a patient must go through another replacement surgery.  The Zimmer hip implant was designed to change that.  It was targeted at younger patients as a way to get the benefits of a hip replacement, but with a long lasting implant that would not need to be replaced, so that they could avoid further surgery.

However, this claim has not held up to scrutiny.  In one text clinic, twelve percent of patients with the Zimmer hip implant needed to have it replaced within two years.  This is an astoundingly high failure rate.  It also means that the implant that was designed to last a lifetime was in fact, barely lasting at all.  And patients who did not believe they would need further surgery were faced with the prospect of another surgery soon after the first.

The Zimmer Durom company has denied that their Zimmer hip implant is this prone to failure, but in internal testing, their devices failed within seven percent of patients within the first two years.  This is still an incredibly high rate.  High enough, in fact, that the company pulled the replacement from the market in July of 2008.  If you or someone you love has had a hip replacement, ask your doctor if it is the Zimmer hip implant.  If it was, you may have the right to sue!

The Evidence Gap - A Call for a Warning System on Artificial Joints

The New York Times came out with an informative article on the Zimmer Durom hip implant and the issues that Dr. Dorr was seeing with his patients.

While Dr. Dorr was attending a meeting:

“I saw one of Zimmer’s engineers at a meeting, and I told her that you should pull this cup because you are crippling patients,” Dr. Dorr said.

It wasn't long after that or so that Zimmer Holdings suspended the sales of Zimmer Cup Hip Implants in the US.  Zimmer cited that they needed to train the surgeons on the best way to implement the hip implant.  While they didn't come right out and say that the doctors involved were doing the implants wrong, they did insinuate that the doctors needed more or better training and that was the reason they stopped sales of the units.

New York Times Article on the Zimmer Implant

Complaints Undermine Hip Device

This was taken from the above New York Times article:

"Zimmer said its investigation had determined that the product was not defective. But it stated that even some experienced surgeons had found it difficult to implant. The company said it expected to resume sales once specialized training for doctors had begun."

This further strengthens that Zimmer is putting the blame on the doctor's that implemented the hip implant.  While the details surrounding this are still developing, there is some talk of the way the devices made for the US market are different from the European market - where very little problems have arisen.

So what is the big difference?

Zimmer Holdings

Here is a memo sent from Dr. Dorr to the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons that deals with what he feels is the cause for the hip implant failures:

So what does this all mean?

In a nutshell, Zimmer has put on the market a device that according to the medical field, in particular Dr. Dorr that has serious issues, and a higher than normal failure rate for a hip implant.

So what do you do if you have received a Zimmer Durom Cup Hip Implant?  Or if someone you know and care about has?

The first thing to do would be to consult your legal advisor in order to ensure your best interests are at stake.  It would be wise to choose someone who has the ability to defend your case and has a track record of success in this field.

To simplify the process, use the "contact us" form by Clicking Here!

This is just a preliminary step and is a good way to get your inital questions answered, you are in no way obligated at this point.

Good luck in getting your hip implant issues resolved and hopefully any pain you are experiencing resolved quickly!

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