Patients with constant pain after hip implant surgery may need to speak with their doctor to see if the hip implant has failed. Failed hip implants include any hip implant that has broken, come loose or caused other hip surgery related problems. According to most experts, temporary pain or discomfort after a hip implant surgery is normal and not suggestive of a broken hip implant, femoral head or socket. However, a sudden pain in the implanted hip joint, sometimes preceded by an audible “pop” from the hip just before the onset of pain, is a signal of a hip implant fracture or failure.

Zimmer Durom Cup Hip Implant Failures

Problems with the Durom cup became known in April when a Los Angeles surgeon, Dr. Lawrence Dorr, publicly warned other orthopedists about Durom cup failures he was hearing about from his patients. At that time, Zimmer said it would initiate an investigation but that it saw no reason to take other action, such as halting sales. Zimmer cited European data that indicated that the Durom cup was doing well there; however, the version of the Durom cup used outside the U.S. is a bit different from the one used in the United States. Additionally, while U.S. doctors use the Durom cup in traditional hip replacement surgeries, surgeons in other countries use the device in a relatively new kind of hip surgery known as resurfacing, which involves different surgical techniques.

Hip Implant Fractures and Defective Hip Implants

If a hip implant fractures, surgery to replace it will be necessary. Currently, no tests exist that can predict which patients will experience failure of their hip implants. Patients with recalled hip implants should be closely monitored by their doctors.
Some Zimmer hip implant patients are suffering from what has been described as Zimmer hip pain. Pain in the area of where a hip replacement has been done may indicate a faulty hip implant, loose hip implant, broken hip implant or defective hip implant. Zimmer hip implant patients who are concerned that they may have received a defective artificial hip are urged to contact their orthopedic surgeons or the hospital where their Zimmer hip replacement surgery took place. Concerned patients should request their surgery records from the hospital ‘s medical records department to find out if a Zimmer Durom cup hip implant was used in their hip replacement surgery.

NOTE: If you are required to have replacement surgery, tell your Doctors that you want the hip implant to be preserved as evidence and NOT shipped or returned to the manufacturer, as it is critical evidence in a potential product liability lawsuit against Zimmer.