Biomet M2a-Magnum Hip Replacement

Hip implants are intended to restore mobility and to relieve the pain associated with arthritis and other hip diseases or injuries. One type, the metal-on-metal hip implant, has been shown to cause its recipients a variety of problems. This is because the devices may shed tiny flakes of metal into the patient’s body. The Biomet M2a-Magnum metal-on-metal hip system, in particular, has raised concerns.

The Driscoll Firm, LLC, currently is investigating cases of patients who have been injured by Biomet’s metal-on-metal hip implant. If this includes you or a loved one of yours, allow our lawyers to explain how we can help you to obtain compensation for your medical expenses, pain and suffering and/or other losses that may have been caused by this device. Call us today or contact us online to learn more.

Concerns about Metal-on-Metal Hip Implants

The Biomet M2a-Magnum hip implant consists of a metal femoral (leg bone) head and pelvic cup made of chromium and cobalt, which lines the socket of the hip’s ball-and-socket joint.

Metal-on-metal hip implants have unique risks that are in addition to the general risks of all hip implants, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states. As the metal ball and the metal cup (socket) of a metal-on-metal hip implant slide against each other during walking or running, tiny metal particles wear off of the device into the space around the implant, according to the FDA. Some of the metal ions (cobalt and chromium) from the metal implant or from the metal particles can enter the bloodstream.

Over time, the buildup of metal particles in the body, or “metallosis,” can damage adjacent bone and/or tissue, the FDA reports. This, in turn, can cause not only pain but also the loosening of the implant, followed by its dislocation and failure.

The FDA says that metal ions in the bloodstream can cause specific symptoms or illnesses elsewhere in the body, including:

  • General hypersensitivity reaction (skin rash)
  • Cardiomyopathy (disease and deterioration of the heart muscle)
  • Neurological changes including sensory changes (auditory or visual impairments)
  • Psychological status change (including depression or cognitive impairment)
  • Renal (kidney) function impairment
  • Thyroid dysfunction (including neck discomfort, fatigue, weight gain or feeling cold).

The remedy for the failure of a metal-on-metal hip implant is revision surgery, or removal of the faulty device to replace it with another.

For many years, the FDA allowed metal-on-metal hip implant manufacturers to obtain market approval through its provision for a product to bypass clinical testing if the manufacturer can demonstrate that it is substantially equivalent to a product already approved by the FDA.

However, in January 2013, the FDA stated that this provision would no longer be available to metal-on-metal artificial hip products.

Legal Obligations of Metal-on-Metal Hip Implant Manufacturers

Medical product manufacturers have a legal duty to ensure that the products they offer to consumers are safe and effective when used as directed. If a medical product may cause harm, it is the manufacturer’s responsibility to notify consumers of its potential complications and side effects and/or the other risks a patient assumes by using the device.

As such, based on FDA warnings about metal-on-metal hip implants, independent studies of all-metal hips, individual plaintiffs’ experiences and other available data, a product liability lawsuit pertaining to failed metal-on-metal hip implants, including the Biomet M2a-Magnum, might allege that the manufacturer:

  • Designed and manufactured a medical device that was inherently flawed;
  • Inadequately tested the device before releasing it to the market; and
  • Failed to appropriately warn consumers of the risks, including complications and side effects, that the device was known to cause.

The Driscoll Firm, LLC, has successfully represented clients injured by dangerous medical devices. Attorney John J. Driscoll has resolved injury cases against corporations, drug companies, manufacturers and other parties responsible for harm to others. He has special experience in bringing class-action lawsuits and representing multiple plaintiffs in complex product liability cases.

If you were implanted with a Biomet M2a-Magnum all-metal hip replacement that failed prematurely or that caused you to suffer symptoms of metallosis, you may be eligible to obtain compensation for your medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering and more.

Contact a Biomet M2a-Magnum Hip Replacement Attorney

The Driscoll Firm, LLC, can help if you or a loved one has experienced pain or other problems after receiving a Biomet M2a-Magnum all-metal hip replacement. A lawyer from our firm can advise you of your legal rights and options for seeking compensation for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other losses.

Verdicts and settlements obtained by John J. Driscoll have qualified him for membership in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Less than 1 percent of the lawyers in America have been voted into these organizations.

Let the Driscoll Firm’s Biomet M2a-Magnum hip replacement lawyers put John J. Driscoll’s litigation experience to work for you. Contact us today by phone or online for a free initial consultation.

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