Woman Alleges Biomet Metal Hip Implant Gave Her Metal Poisoning

By Sarah Mirando | January 4, 2013

Category: Medical Devices

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By Christina Drury

Due to various conditions, many people have hip replacements every year. There are myriad hip implants that are designed to help improve the quality of living. One design in particular – a metal on metal hip implant – is causing issues for many of those who have received them. Metal on metal hip implants are designed by numerous manufacturers, including DePuy, Biomet and Wright Medical Technology. There is a fault with some of the designs, however, that has led to metal hip implant side effects such as metal poisoning, hip dislocation and overall failure of the hip implant several years before the expectancy.

Plaintiff Files Biomet Metal Hip Implant Lawsuit

A California woman who received a metal on metal hip implant in 2008 has claimed that her Biomet M2a Magnum hip replacement system caused her to develop several complications and as a result she had to undergo a revision surgery in 2010. The Biomet hip implant lawsuit — which was filed in November of 2012 — alleges that the woman not only experienced significant pain after the implantation, but also ended up with toxic chromium and cobalt poisoning.

Because the Biomet M2a Magnum hip implant proved to be defective, the revision surgery put the woman at additional risk and leaves her susceptible to more significant risks in the future. The reason why revision surgeries are often deemed riskier is because of the availability of bone to work with – there is less the second time the hip replacement surgery is done.

At the time that the plaintiff had received her surgery and implantation of the metal on metal hip implant, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had already received over 100 complaints about the nature of M2a Magnum hip implants. The M2a Magnum hip implant lawsuit alleges that Biomet had knowledge of these facts and chose to withhold them from the public, which resulted in serious adverse metal on metal hip implant side effects.

FDA Requests Studies from Metal Hip Implant Manufacturers

On the heels of receiving several complaints and with numerous hip implant lawsuits being filed, the FDA has asked numerous manufacturers to offer up post market safety studies that will evaluate the devices and their safety for patients. In June of 2012, the FDA brought together a panel of experts and asked them to evaluate a list of pros and cons for the metal on metal hip implant devices.

As a result of the panel meeting, the experts came to a conclusion that the recipients of metal on metal hip implants should undergo annual testing with their physicians to test for any existing tissue or bone abnormalities as well as the presence of metal ions in the bloodstream. The complications that are often seen in recipients of metal on metal hip implants can be caused the presence of cobalt in the bloodstream. Cobalt is known to trigger an immune response which can lead to inflammation as well as the development of pseudotumors.

Get the Help You Deserve

If you have been the recipient of a metal on metal hip implant device and have experienced complications as a result, there is help available. To view your options, we invite you to check out the DePuy, Biomet, Wright Medical Technology & Others, Metal on Metal Hip Implant Class Action Lawsuit Investigation page. Here you can also submit your information to metal hip implant attorneys who are actively investigating the claims.

Updated January 4th, 2013

All medical device, dangerous drug and medical class action and lawsuit news updates are listed in the Drug and Medical Device section of Top Class Actions.

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