A Biomet Magnum hip replacement lawsuit has been filed alleging that the implant is defective and results in damaging metallic wear debris and premature failure.

On April 20, plaintiff Douglas M. and his wife Melanie M. filed a lawsuit against Biomet Inc., Biomet Orthopedics LLC, Biomet U.S. Reconstruction LLC, Biomet Manufacturing LLC, and Zimmer Biomet Holding Inc. Douglas and his wife allege that the Biomet Magnum hip replacement in defective and prone to failure before its expected life of 15 years.

In November 2003, Douglas underwent a total left hip replacement and was implanted with the Biomet Magnum hip replacement system. After the replacement surgery, Douglas allegedly experienced severe pain, dislocation, elevated cobalt and chromium levels, component loosening, and lack of mobility.

He underwent a revision surgery in April 2016 after the implant failed, allegedly due to defects. A little over year later in December 2017, Douglas says he had to undergo an additional revision surgery due to mechanical complications of the implant, stress fracture, bone grafting, and femoral diaphysis causing severe hip pain.

The Biomet Magnum hip replacement is a metal-on-metal hip implant, meaning the ball and socket bearings of the implant are both made of metal. The hip implant lawsuit argues that normal wear causes the hip joint to generate metallic debris over time which can spread through the surrounding pone and tissue.

Patients who experience the alleged metal debris defect can endure “unnecessary pain and suffering; debilitating lack of mobility; inflammation causing damage or death to surrounding tissue and bone; and a subsequent more difficult revision surgery to replace the faulty devices giving rise to more debilitations, a prolonged recovery time, and an increased risk of complications and death from surgery,” according to the complaint.

Douglas argues that Biomet knew their hip replacement system was prone to metallic wear debris and yet have not recalled the implant. Instead, the company allegedly continues to assert the superiority of the Biomet Magnum hip replacement over other implants on the market. Meanwhile, he says that patients such as himself are forced to undergo revision surgeries to fix problems that they allegedly were not warned about.

Revision surgeries are more complex than the original hip replacement surgeries because defects and complications from the original implant can compromise the bone and tissue in the joint. A surgeon may need to graft new bone to attach the implant to.

Douglas claims that he did not know the risks of a metal-on-metal hip implant and would not have agreed to the implant had he been sufficiently warned of the risks including “physical injury, bodily impairment, debilitating lack of mobility, conscious pain and suffering, and a general diminished quality of life,” from which he now suffers.

Douglas seeks compensation for pain and suffering, permeant damage from metal poisoning, lost wages, future loss of earning capacity, and medical expenses.

The Biomet Magnum Hip Replacement Lawsuit is Case No. 3:18-cv-00285-RLM-MGG and is part of the Biomet Magnum Hip Replacement MDL, In re: Biomet M2a Magnum Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation, Case No. 3:12-md-2391, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana.