Plaintiff June G. has filed a lawsuit against DePuy Orthopedics in Texas federal court due to adverse effects and complications she suffered after being implanted with a Pinnacle acetabular cup system.

June alleges that on July 23, 2001, she underwent a right total hip arthroplasty procedure during which she was implanted with a Pinnacle Acetabular Cup System.

Later, according to her hip implant lawsuit, “friction and wear between the cobalt-chromium metal head and cobalt-chromium metal liner caused large amounts of toxic cobalt-chromium metal ions and particles to be released into plaintiff’s blood and tissue and bone surrounding the implant.”

She alleges defects in the Pinnacle acetabular cup system caused her to suffer from significant metallosis, groin and thigh pain, and inflammation. She later had the device removed in January 2016.

The DePuy hip implant lawsuit further states the injuries and complications that June had suffered was due to the dangerous character of the Pinnacle acetabular cup system.

June alleges that had she known of the potential adverse effects and complications associated with the implantation of the Pinnacle acetabular cup system, she never would have consented to using it in her total hip arthroplasty.

The defendant faces the following counts: 1) Negligence; 2) Strict Products Liability (Manufacturing Defect); 3) Strict Products Liability (Design Defect); 4) Strict Products Liability (Inadequate Warning); 5) Breach of Express Warranty; 6) Breach of Implied Warranty of Merchantability; 7) Negligent Misrepresentation; 8) Fraud; 9) Unjust Enrichment; and 10) Punitive Damages.

The plaintiff seeks a trial by jury.

Pinnacle Acetabular Cup System Facts

The Pinnacle acetabular cup system that is manufactured by DePuy is a metal-on-metal hip replacement device, made of chromium, cobalt, and other metals.

The full implant system replaces the articulating surfaces of the natural joint with a metal femoral head and a metal acetabular cup. This metal-on-metal design is a change from older designs that used a nonmetal liner between the head and cup.

When the metal femoral head works under pressure against the acetabular cup, metal debris may be shed into the surrounding tissue and bloodstream. This effect is what is known as metallosis.

This condition of metallosis, is the metal poisoning of the blood and surrounding tissue. Other adverse effects and complications that may come about due to metallosis include pain, swelling, non-cancerous tumors, degenerative heart disease, premature failure of the device, inflammation, and the death of surrounding tissue.

Often, patients who suffer from the adverse effects of a Pinnacle acetabular cup system implantation must endure and undergo revision surgery. Surgical removal of an implant comes with a greater risk of complications than the original implantation surgery.

The Pinnacle Acetabular Cup System Lawsuit is Case No. 3:17-cv-03032-K, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division.