An alleged Biomet hip implant failure spurred a plaintiff to file a new lawsuit in U.S. District Court on Aug. 21, 2018.

The plaintiff, Melissa R., is a U.S. citizen residing in the state of Florida. She brings her legal claim against Biomet Inc. and related companies. Biomet is headquarters in the state of Indiana and licensed to do business in Florida as well as other states.

Melissa indicates in her lawsuit that the first indications of Biomet hip implant failure were noticeable seven years after implantation of the original device. She says she was implanted with the device consisting of the metal-on-metal M2 Magnum acetabular cup, the M2a Magnum modular femoral head, an M2a taper adapter, and a taper lock femoral stem on Sept. 14, 2009 at Health Center Hospital in Ocoee, Fla.

The orthopedic surgeon that performed the surgery on the right side of her pelvic cage X-rayed the joint after completion to ensure proper positioning was achieved. Melissa says that medical records indicate that her wound healed easily and without infectious incident.

The plaintiff says she returned to the same surgeon when she started to experience bilateral hip pain with more severe symptomology on her right side in March of 2016. Dr. Smith prescribed a blood test for metals and a CT scan of both hip joints. The diagnostic results were consistent with Biomet hip implant failure, alleges the lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleges that among the findings were likely loosening of the prosthetic on the right side and higher than normal levels of cobalt and chromium in the plaintiff’s blood. This latter information was indicative of a condition known as metallosis where a metal-on-metal prosthetic leaches corrosive metal debris into surrounding tissue and the chemistry of the metal poisons the blood. The long term effects of untreated metallosis include the possibility of total Biomet hip implant failure as well as heart disease and cancer.

In the late spring of 2016, Melissa says she had a consult with another orthopedic physician who both recommended and performed a revision of her right hip replacement. During the surgery—undertaken because of complete Biomet hip implant failure—Dr. Paul Schuler of the Health Center Hospital experienced trouble removing the stem of the prosthetic unit and the plaintiff’s right femur was fractured in the process, alleges the complaint.

Melissa says she was implanted with another prosthetic device made from Zimmer with a poly liner. The fracture was treated with two cerclage cables and five bone screws. A follow-up visit in early summer revealed that the patient had a displacement of a femur fragment. This was addressed with an abductor brace and careful instructions with regarding to bearing weight on the right side.

In the fall of 2016, Melissa alleges she suffered a right hip dislocation treated at the hospital. She says she continues to experience pain and discomfort in her hips and low back due to leg length discrepancy—a frequent byproduct of revision surgery.

The Biomet Lawsuit is Case No. 3:18-cv-00638-RLM-MGG in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, South Bend Division.