Cobalt Poisoning From Implant
Cobalt Poisoning From Implant Side Effects Could Lead To Tinnitus Lawsuits
Cobalt Poisoning From Implant | Lawsuits, Lawyers | Side Effects: Osteolysis Hip, Swelling, Extreme Pain, Tinnitus, Dislocation of Implant | Metal-on-Metal Implants, Premature Failure
Metal-on-metal Hip Implant
Could you be the victim of cobalt poisoning because of a metal-on-metal hip implant? Also known as cobaltism, cobalt poisoning can result in tinnitus (ringing in the ears), vertigo, deafness, blindness, optic nerve atrophy, convulsions, headaches, peripheral neuropathy, cardiomyopathy, hypothyroidism, and cognitive problems, including dementia, if it is left untreated. If you or a loved one received a metal-on-metal hip implant that failed prematurely, or you suffer from symptoms that could be related to cobaltism, our cobalt poisoning lawyers want to hear from you today. You may be entitled to receive compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.
Some metal-on-metal hip implants that have been marketed in the US include Wright Medical’s CONSERVE Total Hip System, Biomet’s M2a Metal Hip, Zimmer Orthopedics’ Metasul, and DePuy Orthopaedic's now-recalled ASR XL Acetabular Hip Replacement System. Symptoms indicative of cobalt poisoning from a metal-on-metal hip replacement may include:
- Pain
- Inflammation
- Tumors
- Difficulty walking
Lawyers at our firm who specialize in defective medical device litigation are offering free lawsuit evaluations to victims of metal-on-metal hip implant cobalt poisoning. If you are suffering health problems following implantation of a metal-on-metal device, we urge you to contact one of our cobalt poisoning lawyers today to protect your legal rights.
Cobalt Poisoning
Metal particles can cause soft tissue damage
Arthroprosthetic cobaltism is a type of cobalt poisoning which results from the wearing of metal-on-metal hip implants. Studies are increasingly linking metal-on-metal hip implants to this disorder. Left untreated, cobaltism can result in tinnitus (ringing in the ears), vertigo, deafness, blindness, optic nerve atrophy, convulsions, headaches, peripheral neuropathy, cardiomyopathy, hypothyroidism, and cognitive problems.
Some metal-on-metal hip implants can quickly begin to wear, generating high volumes of metallic debris that is absorbed into a patient’s body, resulting in cobalt poisoning. Reactions to these metal particles can cause soft tissue damage, inflammatory reactions resulting in non-cancerous tumors, and bone loss. The tissue damage that results from cobalt poisoning can complicate future revision surgeries intended to replace the damaged metal-on-metal hip implant.
Hip replacement patients should be relatively pain-free three months after surgery. Any new pain or increase in pain at that point should be promptly communicated to your surgeon, as it may indicate a complication. Signs that you may be the victim of a failed metal-on-metal hip implant and cobalt poisoning include:
- Swelling, Extreme Pain & Discomfort
- Dislocation of Implant
- Clicking, Popping or Grinding
- Loosening of the Implant
- Unexplained Hip Pain
- Thigh Pain or Groin Pain
- Pain with Walking
- Pain Rising from a Seated Position
- Pain with Weight Bearing
Metal-on-Metal Hip Implants
Metal on metal hip components
A metal-on-metal hip implant is made of chromium and cobalt, and consists of a cup that’s implanted into the hip with a ball joint that connects to the leg. According to a New York Times report published in March 2010, metal-on-metal hip implants have been used in about one-third of the approximately 250,000 hip replacements performed annually in this country. However, many of the nation’s leading orthopedic surgeons have reduced or stopped use of these devices because of concerns that they can cause severe tissue and bone damage. When they wear, metal particles from these hip implants can infiltrate organs and tissues, and may even create large, painful cysts. The limited studies conducted so far on metal-on-metal hip implants estimate that 1 to 3 percent of implant recipients could be affected by the problem.
In April 2010, European regulators announced they would be conducting a review of 40,000 metal-on-metal hip replacements over fears that the devices could cause non-cancerous tumors and tissue damage. At the time, officials with the United Kingdom’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said anyone considered at risk would be given tests to establish whether there are high levels of metal compounds, including cobalt, in the blood.
An October 2010 article published in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery linked metal-on-metal hip implants to cobalt poisoning. The article described two patients from Alaska who developed the condition after receiving DePuy ASR metal-on-metal hip implants. Both were “fit, well, forty-nine-year-old men at the time of metal-on-metal arthroplasty with ASR implants,” the article said. Two years after the hip implantation, the patients in the study experienced even more symptoms of cobaltism, which can include irritability, fatigue, tinnitus, hearing loss, headaches, loss of coordination, cognitive decline, and depression. After revision surgeries, the patients’ symptoms improved.
The case report stated that at present, at least six reports of cobalt toxicity have been related to arthroplasty implants, although the two in this report were the only ones that occurred in patients with metal-on-metal hip replacements. The authors called for a larger group study to define the prevalence and spectrum of cobalt poisoning due to hip replacement surgery.
Legal Help for Victims of Cobalt Poisoning from Metal-on-Metal Hip Implants
If you or someone you love has suffered from complications typical of cobaltism following hip replacement surgery that involved a metal-on-metal hip implant, our cobalt poisoning lawyers can help. Please fill out our online form, or call 1 800 LAW INFO (1-800-529-4636) to discuss your case with one of experienced cobalt poisoning lawyers today.
