A couple has filed a metal-on-metal hip replacement lawsuit against Biomet, alleging the wife received defective implants in both hips.

Plaintiff Linda V. says she received a left total hip replacement in July 2007 followed by a right total hip replacement in December 2007. She claims both systems were Biomet’s M2A Magnum Hip Replacement System Devices.

She claims after the implantation of the devices, she suffered “increasingly debilitating pain, discomfort, soreness, dysfunction, and loss of range of motion.”

In February 2017, Linda says she had to undergo a revision surgery of the left hip to replace the failed 2007 metal-on-metal hip replacement components. Because of subsequent recurring dislocation, Linda says she received a second revision surgery on the left side in November 2017 that was revised with a constrained liner.

In December 2017, Linda claims she underwent a revision to the right hip, but that surgery was unable to be completed because the head component was unable to detach from the stem. A second attempt to revise the right hip was successfully accomplished a week later, according to the lawsuit.

Reported Problems with Metal-on-Metal Hip Replacement Parts

Linda alleges Biomet’s M2A Magnum Hip Replacement System was “unsafe, defective, and inherently unreasonably dangerous” from the start.

While Linda’s lawsuit is an individual case, back in 2014, Biomet agreed to a $56 million multi-district lawsuit settlement regarding allegations the M2A Magnum was defective.

Plaintiffs around the country continue to claim the M2A Magnum metal-on-metal hip implant is prone to loosening, generating metal debris, and possibly increasing the risk of cancer.

The metal-on-metal parts rub together, often eventually breaking down tiny particles of cobalt and chromium that can damage soft tissue and bone. When the metal ions enter the bloodstream, elevated levels of cobalt and chromium can lead to metal poisoning, also known as metallosis.

In some cases, a buildup of fluid around the joint will create a pseudotumor, which is a pocket of fluid that puts extra pressure on the joint as trapped fluid tries to flush out the invasion of metallic particles.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, “There is no way to fully avoid the production of metal ions and some metal particles” with the implantation of a metal-on-metal hip implant system.

Linda’s hip implant lawsuit accuses Biomet of several counts of negligence by failing to exercise reasonable care in the design, research and manufacturing of the M2A Magnum hip system before supplying and promoting it for sale. She further alleges the artificial hip implant was not sufficiently tested, and that Biomet knew or should have known the M2A Magnum was not safe.

Biomet is accused of promoting the hip replacement device as a high-quality and effective implant system when the company knew or should have known such claims were allegedly false and misleading, but designed to convince patients and surgeons to choose the Magnum M2A hip replacement system.

According to VeryWellHealth.com, patients who need revision hip replacements are apt to need longer surgeries due to the quality of the bone and potential issues with removing the old components and placing the new ones in the correct position. Patients who have revision surgery also are at greater risk of significant blood loss.

The Metal-on-Metal Hip Replacement Lawsuit is Case No. 1:20-cv-00019-WCG, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Greenbay Division.