A patient claims that Zimmer Biomet M2a Magnum hip replacement is defective, on the heels of a number of lawsuits against Biomet and associated companies, the device’s manufacturer.

Plaintiff Kenneth H. claims at on June 9, 2008, he had a total left hip replacement and was fitted with the Biomet M2a Magnum hip replacement device. He claims that the M2a hip replacement caused him to develop severe side effects, and had to have a revision surgery on April 19, 2017, to remedy the problems allegedly caused by the device.

Kenneth claims that the Biomet M2a Magnum hip replacement is defective in its design, and its defect causes it to perform sub-optimally and do harm to patients who have been implanted with it. Allegedly, the device is made with a metal ball and a metal socket, as opposed to one metal and one plastic component or with a nonmetal liner, like many other hip implant systems.

The Biomet M2a Magnum hip replacement lawsuit claims that the M2a Magnum’s two metal components come into contact with one another in such a way that the metal pieces wear away on one another, causing metal pieces to fret into a patient’s body. This allegedly occurs when the two pieces of the device are not implanted at exactly the right angle, which allegedly is a very common occurrence when the device is installed.

The Zimmer hip lawsuit claims that the metal fragments fretting into a patient’s body can cause infection, tissue death in both bone and soft tissue, and can cause the levels of metal in a patient’s blood to rise to dangerous levels. This alleged design incompatibility may also cause the pieces to wear incorrectly, causing the device to perform sub-optimally and make movement difficult.

As a result of these injuries allegedly caused by the Biomet M2a Magnum hip replacement’s defective design, many patients allegedly have required revision surgeries to repair injury or entirely replace the Biomet M2a Magnum device. Kenneth claims that he was exposed to an additional risk to injury when he had to have a revision surgery because patients are statistically more likely to suffer infection, experience complications, or have the device not implant well.

Kenneth claims that Biomet and their associated companies knew that the device was defective, but marketed it to patients and medical professionals nonetheless. Allegedly, they knew or should have known that the device could cause injury, and knowingly or negligently exposed patients to the risk of serious injury.

Allegedly, not enough research was conducted on the M2a Magnum hip replacement before it was released onto the market, because it was approved via a “fast track” approval process by the FDA. The fast-track approval process is allegedly given to devices that are substantially similar to other devices on the market and are, as a result, supposed to not need extensive testing for safety and efficacy.

However, the device is allegedly not substantially similar to other devices on the market. Allegedly, hip replacements with two metal components have not been used since the 1970s precisely because the two components were likely to wear badly. As a result, such devices have not been widely used since the 1970s, so there is not much research on how such a device would perform.

The Biomet M2a Magnum Defective Hip Replacement Lawsuit is Case No. 3:18-cv-RLM-MGG, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana South Bend Division.