Every year, approximately 250,000 hip replacement procedures are performed on patients of all age groups in the United States alone. Total hip replacement surgery entails replacing damaged cartilage and bone of the hip joint with an artificial device that mimics those structures. This procedure is performed on patients with degenerative arthritis, fractures secondary to osteoporosis, and other conditions that damage the hip joint, causing pain severe enough to interfere with the patient’s normal daily functioning. Recipients of a DePuy Pinnacle device may be affected by a potential DePuy Pinnacle recall and a current consolidation of DePuy Pinnacle cases to the Northern District of Texas.
Total hip replacement surgery is most commonly done in patients with progressively severe arthritis of the hip joint. Osteoarthritis is the most common class of arthritis indicated for total hip replacement surgery. Primary osteoarthritis is mostly related to aging and occurs more frequently in elderly patients. Secondary osteoarthritis is due to other diseases or conditions, which include obesity, repeated trauma, surgery to joint structures, congenital abnormalities, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and other hormone disorders. Total hip replacements are recommended in patients with osteoarthritis when there is progressively intense chronic pain and impairment of daily activities, which include walking, climbing stairs, and even rising from a sitting position.
Hip replacement surgery is also indicated for patients suffering from a hip fracture. The elderly are more predisposed to hip fracture injuries, especially if they have co-morbid conditions such as osteoporosis or osteoarthritis. Elderly patients with osteoporosis are also at a much higher risk for developing hip fractures due to falls. Accounting for 45-53% of all hip fractures, femoral neck fractures are the most common location for a hip fracture. Hip replacement surgery is generally considered after the pain becomes so severe that it hinders normal function despite the use of anti-inflammatory and/or pain medications.
Ultimately, the surgeon will assess who is an ideal candidate for hip replacement not only based on age, but also on the extent of pain, disability, and general health status of the patient. Patients requiring total hip replacement should know the risks associated with the procedure and with the types of devices that are used. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has currently received over 1,300 complaints associated with the Pinnacle hip replacement with the majority of these focusing on the premature loosening of the device from the bone, which leads to device failure and a possible DePuy Pinnacle recall.
In the past, DePuy has allocated almost $1 billion for patients suffering harm from their devices. If you believe you are entitled to proper compensation because your quality of life has been affected, go to the DePuy Pinnacle recall website now to have your case evaluated by an experienced attorney free of charge.