Zimmer Durom Cup May Only Cause Problems. The Zimmer Durom Cup is a hip implant component used in the company’s metal-on-metal device. The cup was positioned for use on younger, more active patients, but now it seems this device may only cause problems. Patients who have been implanted with the Durom cup have complained […]
The Zimmer Durom Cup is a hip implant component used in the company’s metal-on-metal device. The cup was positioned for use on younger, more active patients, but now it seems this device may only cause problems.
Patients who have been implanted with the Durom cup have complained of agonizing pain, and ultimately need to undergo another surgery to correct these problems. Parker Waichman LLP has years of experience successfully representing people who have been injured by medical devices, and is offering free legal consultations to anyone who has been implanted with the Durom Cup.
The medical community first started becoming concerned about the Durom Cup in April 2008, when Los Angeles surgeon Dr. Lawrence Dorr publicly warned other doctors about the failure of the cups in his own patients. Dr. Dorr, a highly paid Zimmer consultant, said that these patients were in agony within months of receiving the implant. Dr. Dorr wasn’t the only one in his field to observe these issues. After contacting his colleagues about the implant, several other doctors reported the same problem. They found through x-rays that, in these patients, the socket was separating from the bone, instead of fusing with it. This caused the socket to rub against the bone, leading to devastating injuries.
Dr. Dorr told Zimmer about his concerns, but instead of taking his advice, the company ignored the complaints and blamed Dr. Dorr’s surgical techniques. At age 67, Dr. Dorr had performed over 5,000 hip replacement surgeries. The fact that blame was shifted to the veteran doctor could suggest the viewpoint that the company was more interested in protecting its own interests versus catering to patient safety.
When Zimmer failed to heed Dr. Dorr’s warnings, he sought out the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons in April 2008. The next month, Zimmer finally told surgeons that they were investigating these concerns, but didn’t stop sales as its consultant had recommended. At this time, about 1,300 more patients were implanted with the Durom. Zimmer’s own investigation showed that the cup failed in 5.7 percent of patients.
The personal injury attorneys at Parker Waichman LLP offer free, no-obligation case evaluations.
For more information, fill out our online contact form or call 1-800-YOURLAWYER (1-800-968-7529).