Many patients who have received hip replacement surgery with a Wright hip implant have reported experiencing a type of metal poisoning called metallosis after treatment. Several different components of Wright Medical Technology’s Profemur Total Hip System have had their safety called into question; problems with Wright hip implants often require expensive revision surgery; data collected from the Australian Orthopaedic Association suggests that over 10% of patients treated with one kind of Wright implant will require surgical revision within only three years of the initial surgery. Hip implants are typically supposed to last for at least 15-20 years.
What is Metallosis?
Metallosis is a type of metal poisoning that typically occurs as the result of components of a metal medical device, like a Wright hip implant, grinding against one another. When this grinding occurs, small metal particles of the device break off and are deposited in the soft body tissues that surround the implant site. Recently, metal-on-metal hip implants, like the Profemur Total Hip System produced by Wright Medical Technology, have been linked to metallosis. Many patients respond to complications like metallosis by filing a lawsuit against the manufacturer of the defective device that they were treated with.
Wright Hip Implant Metallosis Symptoms and Complications
When metallosis happens as the result of treatment with a Wright hip implant, there are several symptoms that can help to identify its occurrence. These symptoms include:
Pain around the site of the implant
Build up of fluid around the implant (can sometimes look like a tumor)
Skin rash or discoloration (indicates that surrounding tissue is dying)
Metallosis can lead to numerous other complications in the body as well as with the hip implant itself. Sometimes the implant will become loosened or displace. Wright hip implant metallosis typically requires surgical removal of the implant, called a “revision surgery.” Because there is not a tacit agreement as to what the safe threshold for metals like chromium and cobalt in the body, removal of the implant is necessary in order to cease the further depositing of metal in body tissues.
File a Wright Hip Implant Metallosis Lawsuit: Speak to an Attorney
If you have experienced metallosis or any other complications following treatment with a metal-on-metal hip implant, you may be entitled to a financial settlement through a Wright Hip Implant Lawsuit. Call the Willis Law Firm today in order to discuss your legal options with one of our talented and aggressive team members. Currently, our firm is evaluating hip implant cases across the country, and all hip implant clients are taken on a contingency fee basis. This means that you will not be responsible for any legal or attorney’s fees unless a recovery is obtained for you. Contact the Willis Law Firm today.