Hip and Knee Prostheses

Hip and Knee Prostheses
A prosthesis is an artificial replacement of or substitute
for a part of the body. Prostheses may be removable or may
be permanently implanted. A prosthesis is used for
functional or cosmetic reasons or in many cases, a
prostheses is used for both. Hip and knee prostheses are
permanently implanted to replace a hip or knee that was not
functioning properly or has had years of wear and tear from
an individual.

Hip and knee replacements are among the most common
surgical procedures in all of orthopedic surgery. The
procedure involves replacing damaged or deteriorated joints
with artificial replacements, which include parts made of
high molecular weight polyethylene, similar to pliable
plastic. Most patients who undergo a hip or knee
replacement gain improved agility, flexibility, and reduced
pain; however, due to the practice of sterilizing
polyethylene, some replacements have failed prematurely,
resulting in injury, and causing the need for further
surgery to replace the failed parts.

Several companies use a technique known as gamma
irradiation in air to sterilize the hip and knee
prostheses. This sterilization process has caused the
polyethylene part of the devices, once implanted in the
body, to break into small pieces which then can lodge into
the patient's hip or knee joint. In the body's fight to rid
itself of those pieces, the immune system can also attack
the patient's healthy bone, causing it to decay, a
condition known as osteolysis. The patient inevitably needs
another potentially risky surgery to replace the hip or
knee prosthesis long before expected.

Certain hip and knee implants that were manufactured
beginning in the early 1990s by the following manufacturers
are being investigated for the failure described above:

. Depuy

. Howmedica Osteonics Corp.

. Howmedica, Inc.

. Osteonics Corp.

. Zimmer

. Biomet Each hip and knee prostheses case is unique and
requires a thorough review of the individual's medical
records to determine proper product identification and to
determine potential damages or injuries as a result of the
implantation of a hip or knee prosthesis.

If you or someone you know have undergone hip or knee
replacement, you may be eligible to participate in hip and
knee replacement litigation. In which case, if you are
eligible, it is advisable to contact an experienced knee
and hip prosthesis law firm to learn about the legal
details involved with developing a case. In such a case,
the plaintiff will seek compensatory damages from the
defendant for medical bills.

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