Biomet Magnum Hip Lawsuit Filed After Implant Failed

A Louisiana man has filed a Biomet Magnum hip replacement lawsuit, alleging that the metal-on-metal hip implant was defectively designed and failed within two years. 

The complaint was filed late last month against Biomet Orthopedics, LLC, by Vincent Pizzitolo, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

According to the hip replacement lawsuit, Pizzitolo received a Biomet Magnum hip system in December 2007. After experiencing problems allegedly caused by the metal-on-metal design of the implant, Pizzitolo had to undergo revision surgery to have it removed just two years later, in January 2010.

Pizzitolo accuses Biomet of designing a defective device and failing to warn that the artificial hip could cause serious and debilitating injuries that may result in the need for revision surgery within a few years.

A number of other consumers throughout the United States have filed a similar Biomet Magnum hip lawsuit after experiencing similar problems with the metal-on-metal hip replacement system. The complaints allege that the implant may be prone to loosening and premature wear. In addition, as the metal components rub against each other, the Biomet Magnum may cause high levels of cobalt and chromium to enter the blood stream, resulting in a condition known as metallosis, which can affect the central nervous system and vital organs, and could lead to cancer and other health risks.

Recent research suggests that as the metal hip replacement parts rub against each other, microscopic particles of cobalt and chromium may be shed into the body, which can result in metal poisoning. This may result in soft tissue damage, inflammatory reactions, bone loss, genetic damage, asceptic fibrosis, local necrosis or other problems that may lead to the need for a risky hip revision surgery.

Concerns about the safety of all metal-on-metal hip replacement systems increased in 2010, after a DePuy ASR metal hip recall was issued due to higher-than-expected failure rates. More than 90,000 of the recalled implants were sold worldwide before the problems were acknowledged by the manufacturer, and thousands of individuals throughout the United States have already filed a DePuy ASR hip lawsuit after experiencing complications with the implant.

In addition to DePuy and Biomet, a number of other artificial hip manufacturers also make all-metal implants, which have also been the subject of similar product liability lawsuits over hip replacement problems.

In May 2011, the FDA asked device manufacturers to obtain more information about the level at which the metal particles shed by hip replacements becomes dangerous, how much metal they actually shed and what the potential side effects of metallosis are.

Some studies have suggested that the risk of metal-on-metal hip poisoning may require individuals who received one of the implants to undergo blood tests for the rest of their lives. Due to the potential side effects and minimal benefits provided over other hip replacement designs, many critics have called for metal-on-metal hip systems to be recalled, urging the medical community not to implant any more of the devices.