Problems with Zimmer Hip Implants Lead to Lawsuits

For those of us who have reached a certain age, it becomes more and more obvious each day that our bodies are wearing out from overuse. For some, it can become painfully obvious. As we begin to live longer, richer lives, body parts that were designed to do the hard work of forty years are now being tested for 70, 80 or even 90 years.

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 get older, our bodies of course don’t work the way that they used to. What used to be an easy task becomes a difficult one, and we feel more pain than we used to. But for some older Americans, this pain becomes debilitating, especially around their hips. This means that normal activities such as walking can be unbearably painful. It is for these people that Zimmer hip implants were targeted. By replacing their old, worn joint, the pain can be lessened considerably, or even ended, and they can get back to their normal, active 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 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.