The use of metal hip implants is becoming a cause of concern as patients suffer from severe tissue reaction, medical industry observers say, pointing out the rising number of lawsuits filed against implant manufacturers. Currently, it is not possible to predict how these men and women who are exposed to wear particles would react, according to the information from the Food and Drug Administration. Not all patients would react to the metal particles that wear off from the hip implant, some will not even feel the high levels of metal ions in their blood. However, there are some patients that are sensitive to this change and have reacted severely on the metal particles that are present in their blood and those that deposit in the tissues surrounding the implant. This led to the filing of Biomet hip lawsuits in several state courts.
Adverse local tissue reaction (ALTR) is the problem that most health care providers have seen among their patients with a Metal-on-Metal hip device, although it is not yet possible to predict who, how and when it will strike. The unpredictability of the reaction of patients makes it hard to prevent this problem from occurring. The damage to the surrounding tissues may lead to pain and inflammation, which may disrupt the daily activities of the patient. There are several symptoms such as limping, abnormal sounds from the hip, pain and swelling that may indicate that the implant is already compromised. Further evaluation may be needed to assess the extent of the damage and to know the plan of treatment. Patients may undergo several tests to confirm the problem.
Bone damage or osteolysis is a concern that most surgeons have for their patients. It is the dissolution of the bones due to the loss of calcium. There is also the possibility that the hip joint is infected because of the worn out prosthesis. Several prosthetic manufacturers have even decided to recall some of their all-metal hip implants because of the rising number of complaints filed by patients. The international regulatory agencies have released alerts and warnings in using these implants which included follow-up check-ups and treatment plans for health care providers and patients alike. This helps determine the causes of failure of hip implants among certain demographics and also promote better management for these problems. It is even possible for some men and women to file a case with the help of a Biomet lawyer.
URL References:
fda.gov/Medicaldevices/productsandmedicalprocedures/implantsandprosthetics/metalonmetalhipimplants/ucm241604.htm
medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/osteolysis
aaos.org/about/papers/advistmt/1035.asp
