As American’s life expectancies grow longer, more and more of our body parts are wearing out before we do. One of the first and most common to go are our joints, especially those located at our hips. Because of years of activity, these joints can become worn down as we age, and must be replaced medically. It’s become a very common procedure, and it’s likely that you or an older loved one has had a hip replaced. If so, read on please, because there is important information you need to know about hip replacement that have been recalled as faulty, made by the manufacturer Zimmer Durom.

There are many reasons that you or a loved one may have received a Zimmer Durom hip replacement, leading to danger for yourself of your loved ones. Hip replacement, also known as hip arthroplasty, is a common procedure in which the hip joint is removed and replaced by a prosthetic implant. This can be done for a variety of reasons, which include the pain of arthritis which was affecting the joint, damage to the joint over a long life, or the treatment of a hip fracture, an injury common to the elderly.

The modern hip replacement operation, using such mechanical parts as those manufactured by Zimmer Durom, has been taking place for almost 40 years. This is why it may seem so common place to you, and surprising that there are such issues with the procedure. It involves three pieces, designed to mimic the movements of a natural hip joint. They are the metal replacement for the femur bone, a part designed to mimic the hip joint itself, which can vary from implant to implant, and bone cement or screws to hold it in place.

For those who have had rip replacement, a large fear is needing the replacement replaced. It can cause serious complications in the ability to walk, and is a painful and long process. The Zimmer Durom was designed to avoid that, so that young hip replacement patients could have the one device for the rest of their lives. However, in one clinic, 12 percent of patients needed further replacement surgery in two years, which means the Zimmer Durom device does not work at all how it should. When this information was released, it caused an outcry among doctors.

Though Zimmer Durom has maintained that this high failure rate is caused by surgeon error, it pulled the replacement from the market in July 2008 after its own internal study found that 8 percent of the devices needed revision in two years. This has let many doctors and lawyers to believe the issue is with the replacement.

If you or someone you know has had a hip replacement surgery in the last several years, ask your doctor if it was a Zimmer Durom. If it was, even if you have not had a failure of your hip replacement yet, you may be able to join a class action law suit. If you are contacted by Zimmer Durom, do not sign their legal release, or you may lose this right.

In 2006 Zimmer Holdings, the world’s largest manufacturer of orthopedic devices, introduced the Zimmer Durom Cup Hip Implant in the United States. Since that time, thousands of implants have been surgically inserted into American patients. The device had been used successfully in Europe since 2003 before being tried in the U.S. Unfortunately, its road to success has been far bumpier in the U.S. than it has been in Europe, and U.S. sales have been put on hold.

Physicians with lawsuits for faulty implant surgeries still hanging over their heads claim that the devices were defective which caused them to fail. Zimmer, however, cites its many successes in Europe and places blame on the surgeons for having too little training in the proper methods of performing the implant. With this problem in mind, Zimmer voluntarily shut down its U.S. sales of the device until they can make correct training available to American doctors. Still, there are a lot of surgeons who say they will not use the device again despite the fact that they are offered additional training.

Under the laws of most states, patients who suffer from the effects of defective orthopedic devices are entitled to compensation if the device doesn’t perform as expected. These laws state that patients can be compensated for pain and suffering, medical bills, and lost wages if it is the device that is at fault. So, the battle goes on with Zimmer claiming there is nothing wrong with the design of the Durom Cup and with physicians blaming the device for the failed surgeries.

The idea of replacing defective hip bones and sockets isn’t a new one. Clear back in 1891 surgeons recorded doing surgeries using ivory devices in attempts to replace the femoral head that fits into the hip socket. In 1960, Dr. San Baw of Burma pioneered a method of using ivory to replaced broken hip bones. During the 20 year period that followed, Dr. Baw claimed an 88% success rate in the 300+ replacement surgeries that he performed.

Modern hip replacement devices owe their origin to John Charnley who pioneered a 3-part artificial hip joint. Developed in the 1970s, this device or an adaptation of it was used all over the world for over 20 years. Then, in 2003, Zimmer introduced the Durom Cup which was touted as the best hip replacement device ever created during its initial try-outs in Europe.

Even though the devices and surgical procedures used in hip replacements have come a long way since they were first attempted over 100 years ago, they are still prone to problems. Patients using the Zimmer Durom Cup have most often suffered the effects of their implant slipping. This happens because the device is smaller than the original human joint components. If it isn’t implanted correctly, then it may move around. Other complications can be loosening of the implanted joint and infection. Even with the risks, however, doctors still encourage patients who have serious damage in their hip joints to get the surgery done.

Zimmer can only hope to win the lawsuits that have been filed against it and be able to market their Durom Cup more successfully in the U.S. in the future. They still believe that their device can make a positive difference in the lives of many people if used correctly.