FDA To Review Metal Hip Dangers as Adverse Events Rise
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) meets this week to review the safety of metal-on-metal hip implants even as the agency reports that adverse events related to these medical devices skyrocketed during the last decade.
The FDA reports that it received nearly 16,800 reports of adverse events involving metal-on-metal or MOM replacement hips from 2000-2011, writes Bloomberg. In 2011 alone, the FDA reports that the problems related to metal hip implants totaled 12,137, nearly double the number of complaints logged for other types of hip replacement systems.
Johnson & Johnson’s DePuy ASR hip implants accounted for 74 percent of adverse events involving MOM devices reported in 2011, according to Bloomberg. The company issued a recall in 2010 for 93,000 of the ASR devices because of high failure rates.
Problems occur when the friction of the metal-on-metal hip replacement releases metallic shavings and dust into the nearby tissues and blood of a patient. This can lead to many painful side effects including:
- An allergic reaction or metal sensitivity
- Severe inflammatory reactions
- Pain in the groin
- Breakdown of muscles, tendons and other soft tissues in and around the hip joint
- Loss of surrounding bone
- Loss of mobility
Johnson & Johnson faces more than 6,000 complaints in federal and state courts over the medical devices, according to Bloomberg.
If you or a loved one has been harmed by a metal-on-metal hip replacement or another unsafe medical device, contact Sokolove Law for a free legal consultation and to find out if a product liability lawyer may be able to help you. For legal help, call (800) 581-6358.
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