Tag: philadelphia attorneys

DePuy Hip Implants Cause Osteolysis

depuy hip implant recall new jersey philadelphia attorneys osteolysisIn the United States, hip replacement surgery is one of the most common orthopaedic surgeries that occurs each year. In fact, since 1997, there have been approximately 300,000 hip replacement surgeries performed in the United States. Without question, the development of prosthetic hip joint replacements, and the development of cement or “glue” to securely place these implant parts into the human skeleton, has been one of the most major advancements in orthopaedic surgery during the last several decades.

Notwithstanding the numbers, as was detailed on our articles about hip implants, hip replacement surgery is not a cure for hip pain and should only be considered after all other medical treatments have failed. The failure of any manufacturer’s hip implant is something that is inevitable and something all potential hip implant patients should consider.

Why are Hip Implant Failures Almost Always Inevitable?

One of the major reasons for hip implant failure is because of the loosening of the bond (i.e., the cement or glue) which holds hip implant prosthetics to the bone. The loosening of this bond between the hip implant parts and the bone causes an increase in pain and reduces the range of motion for the patient.
In addition, because of the “imperfect fit,” natural friction is increased, as is the wearing down of areas in and around the hip implant. While this wear occurs in all hip implants, DePuy ASR hip implants have been recalled because medical research has shown that the recalled DePuy hip implant has an increased wear rate caused by the friction between the chromium and cobalt metals used in the ASR implant system. The combination of the loosening of the bond between the implant parts and the increased friction wear in the DePuy hip implant patient has been theorized to be the main cause of it’s premature wear and tear.

Finally, the byproduct of the chromium and cobalt friction in the replacment has been shown to result in a greater immune response to the release of these metal particles in the blood system. The immune system response not only attacks the foreign metallic matter in the blood stream, but also attacks the surrounding hip and femur bone, as well as other connective structures. This attack further damages the bond between the DePuy hip implants and the bone. This process, called osteolysis, is one of the most common causes of the accelerated failure of any DePuy hip implant.

NJ and PA DePuy Hip Implant Recall Attorneys

A DePuy hip implant recall lawyer in NJ o PA can answer your questions regarding a DePuy hip implant. If you think you may be the recipent of a recalled product, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation or call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
Let the team at the Mininno Law Office earn you the compensation you deserve.

After DePuy Recall, Patients Ask: “Did I really need that implant?”

Now that some 96,000 patients could potentially have a defective DePuy ASR hip implant, many patients are asking the question “Did I really need to have hip replacement surgery to begin with?” Many patients who elected to have the DePuy hip replacement surgery did so because they had hip pain and believed that this device would “cure” their pain. But, a hip implant is a treatment for the pain, not a cure.

Why isn’t a Hip Implant a Cure for Hip Joint Pain?

depuy hip implant asr recall attorneys new jersey philadelphia defective replacementThe hip is a joint between the top of the leg bone (“femur“) and the pelvis bone (“acetabulum“). Hip pain is caused when there is damage to this joint. The main function of the hip joint is to support the weight of a body while standing, walking, or running. Damage can occur for a variety of reasons and cause pain, but, there is no “cure” for hip pain.

Hip replacement surgery was devised as one of the many treatment options which could help alleviate some of the pain by replacing, with a hip implant, what were believed to be the painful parts of the hip joint. In theory, a DePuy hip implant, or similar type implant, should provide a metal ball at the top of the femur and a new metal socket in the pelvis which would permit movement like the original hip joint.
The problem for DePuy hip implant manufacturers was attempting to reduce the friction between these hip implant parts which would, in theory, reduce the pain to a patient.

However, in trying to find this cure, doctors and patients may have minimized or downplayed the basic fact that hip implant surgery, in and of itself, is not a permanent cure, and causes significant post-operative pain to a patient.
In addition, because hip implants are not designed to last a lifetime, a patient must endure eventual pain when the hip implant begins to wear down and needs to be replaced.

Where did the DePuy Hip Implant Go Wrong?

The recalled DePuy hip implant was marketed as a new and revolutionary hip implant technology involving the metals chromium and cobalt which were supposed to produce near frictionless movement of the hip joint. No wonder many patients were eager to seek this “cure!”
However, recent studies have shown that DePuy’s ASR chromium on cobalt hip implant system actually causes more wear and tear and will not last as long as a traditional hip implants.

DePuy hip replacement patients now must endure additional pain and even additional surgery when, as studies suggest, their DePuy hip implant wears out prematurely and needs to be replaced. The pain and other medical risks associated with a worn out and defective DePuy ASR hip implant, is likely far greater than the pain patients would have faced had they elected not to undergo the DePuy ASR hip implant surgery in the first place.

Sadly, what we now know is that although DePuy Orthopeadics and other hip implant manufacturers marketed this product and surgery as safe, effective and a pseudo “cure,” medical research shows that hip implant surgery is never a cure for hip pain. All patients should consider all medical risks and get at least two independent opinions from orthopaedic surgeons.
If many of the 96,000 DePuy ASR hip implant patients that are subject to the DePuy recall had sought this medical advice and realized that hip replacement surgery is NOT a cure, perhaps some of them would have been spared the additional pain and damages which they now will face because of their recalled replacement.

DePuy Hip Implant Recall Attorneys in NJ and PA

If you have received a DePuy hip implant recall notice and would like more information on your rights and what you may be entitled to, please contact the Mininno law office for a free case evaluation or call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215)567-2380 in Philadelphia.
The team at the Mininno Law Office is experienced with defective product cases and would hard to earn you the compensation from DePuy that you DESERVE.

Elder Abuse and Nursing Home Neglect: Is Any Resident Safe?

elder abuse new jersey philadelphia attorneys nursing home negligence prospect park residenceA New York nursing home finds itself in the midst of nursing home abuse allegations after being accused of holding a frail Brooklyn judge prisoner by blocking his mail and visitors. The allegations are the latest twist in a case launched this year by the family of Judge John Phillips against Prospect Park Residence, the nursing home in which Phillips resided for eight months until he died at age 83 in 2008.

The family’s lawyer, John O’Hara, a long time friend of Judge Phillips, said of the tragedy:

The whole thing was surreal. It looked like a nice place, but it was a death house.

Elder Abuse and Nursing Home Negligence

Unfortunately, families are often led to believe that a nursing home that appears to be well maintained would provide care equal to the quality of the physical surroundings. There is often little correlation between how nice the home looks and how good the care is. In fact, a beautiful nursing home often gives the family a false sense of security about the care they expect their loved one will receive.

Court papers allege nursing home officials misled the former judge’s family and attorneys about the services they could provide for the diabetic. Nursing homes will make any promise necessary to gain residents. Families bring their loved ones to nursing homes because their conditions just become too fragile for these families to handle. This is why nursing homes exist – to take care of our loved ones when we no longer can.

The former judge’s family alleges that he didn’t get the diabetic meals or regular insulin shots he needed, which caused his health to quickly deteriorate. This is why it is important to maintain a primary care physician who is independent from the nursing home. It is also important to make sure the nursing home is communicating with the family and physician in a timely fashion about changes in the resident’s condition.

The suit charged that “Judge Phillips was confined against his will for approximately eight months by the defendants at their facility … denying [him] proper medical care.”

The nursing home’s executive director David Pomerantz declined to talk about the lawsuit. “On the advice of our attorney, I cannot comment,” he said. Phillips was in good shape when he arrived at the Prospect Park West facility, but quickly declined, friends said. “He was getting sicker and more miserable,” said O’Hara.

NJ and PA Nursing Home Negligence Attorneys

Is your loved one a victim of elder abuse or nursing home negligence in a nursing home or long term care facility? Donald Browne is an experienced Elder Abuse attorney at the Mininno Law Office. Donald has seen it all from the nursing home industry: avoidable bedsores, avoidable falls leading to fractures, medication errors, and physical and/or sexual assaults by staff members or other residents are amoung the most common.

Nursing homes make many promises, and lawyers like The Mininno Law Office’s Donald Browne hold them accountable when they put profits over people and do not follow through on these promises.
Please contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation, or simply call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.