Metallosis: the DePuy Pinnacle's New Risk

Metallosis: the DePuy Pinnacle's New Risk

DePuy Manufacturing was formed over a century ago as a company offering a synthetic splint to replace the typical wooden splint used to set fractures. Since then, the company has grown to be one of the world's largest manufacturers of medical devices. Unfortunately, DePuy has been the subject of recent scrutiny regarding their hip products. DePuy recalled its ASR hip replacement systems in August of 2010. Now the company is scrambling to prepare for a wave of litigation.

A New York Times report published a year ago highlighted a new, but very serious problem with metal on metal hip implants like the ASR. Out of the roughly 250,000 hip replacement surgeries that are performed every year, an estimated one-third are using similar metal-on-metal devices. The report indicated that there is an increased risk in such devices of wear and tear resulting in the releasing of metallic debris into the blood stream or surrounding tissue. This can lead to metal poisoning in the patient.

The ASR is not the only current concern for DePuy. The Pinnacle is another metal on metal hip replacement device of which people are becoming increasingly aware of the risk of suffering from metal poisoning. Though studies on the risk have been very limited to date, some researchers estimate that one to three percent of the recipients of metal-on-metal devices could be affected by metal poisoning. While one to three percent seems like an insignificant ratio, when you consider that nearly 100,000 people receive such implants every year, the numbers become more significant.

Although symptoms of metal poisoning will vary from patient to patient, there are a few common signs to look out for if you or a loved one received a metal-on-metal hip replacement. Metal poisoning may manifest itself emotionally, giving the sufferer a general feeling of malaise and make him prone to emotional outbursts. It may also cause the sufferer to feel confused and experience headaches or dizziness.

If you know anyone who was the recipient of a DePuy Pinnacle metal-on-metal hip replacement system, then you, he, or she should be aware of the warning signs of metal poisoning. It is also important that anyone who may potentially be suffering from the condition due to their DePuy Pinnacle hip replacement system know his or her rights.

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