More Lawsuits Concerning Zimmer Hip Filed

New Orleans, LAMore lawsuits have been filed regarding the Zimmer hip replacement systems. Although much news lately has been focused on the DePuy hip replacement systems, the Zimmer Durom Cup also faces lawsuits alleging the hip replacement is defectively designed. Lawsuits filed against Zimmer Inc. allege the company failed to warn patients about the risks associated with the Zimmer Durom Cup hip replacement.

One lawsuit was filed in October, alleging Zimmer Inc. manufactured a defective device that was not only unreasonably dangerous but was also unfit for its intended use. According to the lawsuit, as reported in The Louisiana Record (11/02/10), plaintiff Joe Dean Krack received a Zimmer VerSys System in July 2005, but experienced disability in his hip because of the implant. In October 2009, Krack had revision surgery to replace the implant.

Krack's lawsuit seeks non-economic damages, medical expenses and punitive damages.

Meanwhile, a North Carolina resident has also filed a lawsuit against Zimmer Inc. for damages allegedly caused by the Zimmer Durom Cup. Plaintiff John Chisnell reportedly had hip replacement surgery in 2007, but suffered pain when the Durom Cup did not properly attach to his hip bone. Chisnell had revision surgery in January 2010 to replace the allegedly defective device, but the revision surgery resulted in the plaintiff's left leg being longer than his right leg by half an inch.

Much like the DePuy hip implant, the Zimmer Durom Cup is a metal-on-metal hip replacement that appears to have a high failure rate. According to some reports, the failure rate of the Zimmer Durom Cup could be as high as 20 to 30 percent, possibly higher as more time goes by and more implants fail.

The Zimmer Durom Cup has so far not been subject to a recall, although sales of the hip replacement device were temporarily suspended in the US so the manufacturer could update the label with instructions for surgical implantation techniques. Approximately 12,000 patients have received a Zimmer hip replacement device so far; a reported 5.7 percent of patients so far have required revision surgery to replace the hip implant.

Zimmer has responded to complaints about the Durom Cup by stating that the problem is related to the surgical technique used to implant the device and not due to problems with the device itself.