According to a study examining hip replacement surgeries between 2002 and 2011, more middle-aged Americans are undergoing hip replacement surgery after suffering damage caused by severe arthritis. Results of the study showed that the rate of hip replacement surgeries nearly doubled between 2002 and 2011 among Americans ages 45 to 64. In addition, by 2011, those middle-aged patients comprised over 42 percent of all hip replacement surgeries across the U.S. – an increase from 34 percent in 2002.
Lawsuits have been filed against medical device manufacturers such as Depuy and Stryker for allegedly defective metal-on-metal hip replacements that caused injuries, pain and suffering, and other damages. If you or a loved one received a metal-on-metal hip replacement and suffered complications, contact Attorney Group today for more information. We can answer your questions in a free, no-obligation consultation, and if you have a case, we can connect you with an affiliated hip replacement attorney who can help you seek the compensation to which you may be entitled. The time to pursue a claim is limited, so contact us today.
Study Shows Middle-Aged Hip Replacements Doubled Over Ten Years
According to a March 2015 article in U.S. News and World Report on the study and an orthopedic surgeon at New York City’s Hospital for Special Surgery who led the nine-year study’s research, the findings are also consistent with government figures released in early 2015. The study concluded that the number of hip procedures in the U.S. rose significantly between 2000 and 2010, especially among patients between the ages of 45 and 54, whose rate increased by over 200 percent.
Factors that may be driving the trend include growth in the number of middle-aged patients and surgeons’ growing willingness to perform hip replacement surgery on younger people. According to the New York orthopedic surgeon, the increasing number of Americans undergoing hip replacement surgeries in their 40s and 50s will require revision surgeries down the road due to complications, including blood clots and infections.
Claims of complications, including metallosis and early device failure in metal-on-metal hip replacements have prompted lawsuits against medical device manufacturers. Patients claim that the metal components that make up the device can rub together and cause shards of metal to make their way into the bloodstream, causing metal poisoning, pain, infection, and other complications. Other allegations include device failure and dislocation, as well as pain and suffering and the need to have the devices replaced in a second surgery. Device makers whose hip replacement systems have been named in lawsuits include DePuy, Stryker, Biomet and Zimmer. Manufacturers have paid billions of dollars to date to settle claims that their products are defective, and new lawsuits continue to be filed.
The Time to Pursue a Claim is Limited. Contact Us for More Information.
If you or a loved one received a hip replacement and suffered complications, contact Attorney Group for more information about your options. There is no cost or obligation in speaking with us, and if you have a case, we can connect you with an affiliated attorney who can file a hip replacement lawsuit on your behalf and assist you throughout the legal process. However, state laws limit your time to pursue a claim, so contact us today.
