Johnson & Johnson and DePuy Orthopaedics are facing thousands of lawsuits due to their defective metal-on-metal hip implants. Researchers link Pinnacle hip implants to multiple adverse health outcomes. Metallosis, a type of metal poisoning, caused many of the Pinnacle hip implant medical problems.

About Pinnacle Hip Implants

Approved by the FDA in 2000, the Pinnacle hip replacement is a total hip replacement system by DePuy Medical. The DePuy Pinnacle Hip Acetabular Cup System was the predecessor to the now recalled DePuy ASR XL Acetabular System and the ASR Hip Resurfacing System. The DePuy Pinnacle hip replacement is a total hip arthroplasty intended to provide increased mobility while reducing pain in patients with damaged hip joints.
Like patients who received ASR hip replacements, the DePuy Pinnacle hip replacement also increases the risk of hip failure. This is because the two hip replacement systems had similar design defects. These lead to severe pain, dislocation of the hip implant and hip replacement failure. Although not part of the 2010 ASR hip recall, this device is also a metal-on-metal hip implant. Metal-on-metal implants carry many of the same side effects the recalled ASR implant.

Specific Pinnacle Hip Implant Medical Problems

Metal-on-metal hip implants could lead to serious medical problems. This includes hip and groin pain, which makes walking difficult. Numbness and swelling can be present along with neurological changes. Researchers note that chromium and cobalt ions from the device could enter the bloodstream and cause neurological changes. These changes could mean auditory or visual problems. Also, metal toxicity can cause depression and cognitive problems. Then, the metallosis could cause organ damage including kidney, thyroid and heart function. With the build-up of metal toxicity, the heart could develop cardiomyopathy. This limits the heart’s ability to pump blood to the rest of the body. Plus, many experienced tissue death and bone erosion.

Settlements

In fact, in December 2017, a Texas jury ordered Johnson & Johnson and DePuy to pay $247 million to six patients who suffered tissue death, bone erosion, and other problems after being implanted with these devices. They were subjected to painful revision surgeries to repair the damage caused by Pinnacle Hip implant medical problems.  This was the third straight win for plaintiffs. The verdict came in the fourth trial over the devices in Dallas federal court, where almost 10,000 of the cases are pending. This number has grown by more than 13% over the past year.

Get Help

Even though many have experienced Pinnacle Hip Implant medical problems, there has not been a recall. Even without the recall, you can still seek help for your injuries. To get advice from a qualified hip device attorney, contact the dedicated attorneys at The Michael Brady Lynch Firm at 877-513-9517. We have decades of experience going up against large corporations and getting you the compensation you deserve.