Biomet Hip Replacement Lawsuit Filed Over Failed M2A Magnum Implant

A Texas woman is suing Biomet Orthopedics over problems with their M2A Magnum metal-on-metal hip replacement system, which she says failed shortly after being implanted. 

The complaint was filed by Carol St. Cyr on January 13, alleging that the Biomet M2A Magnum hip replacement she received was defectively designed and manufactured.

According to allegations raised in the product liability lawsuit, the metal head and acetabular cup of the Biomet hip replacement are prone to wear against each other, causing premature failure and leading to metal blood poisoning from cobalt and chromium fragments; a condition known as metallosis.

St. Cyr, 69, received the Biomet M2A Magnum hip replacement in May 2009. Shortly afterwards, she indicates that she began to suffer groin and hip pain, problems walking, sitting and standing, inflammation and other complications.

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 implants 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 hundreds of individuals in the United States have filed a DePuy ASR hip lawsuitafter 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.

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.