The Hip and Knee Implant failure problem can be traced back to several companies' sterilization practices.
Howmedica, as well as several other companies, used a technique known as gamma irradiation in air to sterilize the devices (hip and knee prostheses) made of high molecular weight polyethylene, which is like a pliable plastic. The sterilization process caused the polyethylene part of the devices, once implanted in the body, to break up into small pieces that lodge into the patient's hip or knee joint. In the body's fight to rid itself of those pieces, the immune system also turns on the patient's healthy bone, causing it to decay, a condition known as osteolysis . These patients inevitably need a second surgery to replace the device long before expected.
FREE CASE EVALUATION
Send your Hip and Knee Replacement claim to a Lawyer who will review your case at NO COST or obligation.
CLICK HERE
Hip and Knee Replacements
Oxidation, which is a time-dependent byproduct of gamma sterilization in air , has an adverse effect on the material properties and wear resistance of polyethylene. Oxidation occurs when oxygen combines with free radicals in the polyethylene that are generated by radiation. The oxidation can occur during irradiation, or it can occur over time as oxygen diffuses into the polyethylene and combines with residual free radicals.
 Recognizing the adverse effects of oxidation, some manufacturers have abandoned gamma sterilization and began using ethylene oxide (EtO) or gas plasma to sterilize the components, thereby avoiding immediate and long-term oxidation. However, particularly in the absence of oxygen , the free radicals generated by irradiation can combine to each other, forming "crosslinks" between two carbon atoms on adjacent polyethylene molecules.
When packaging/sterilizing in a low-oxygen environment (e.g., partial vacuum, inert gas, or with an oxygen scavenger), the degree of oxidation that will occur is reduced. In order to gain the benefit of the crosslinking, some manufacturers continue to sterilize their polyethylene components with gamma radiation.
Hip & Knee Replacement Legal Help
If you feel you qualify for damages or remedies that might be awarded in a possible Hip & Knee Replacement lawsuit, please click the link below to submit your complaint to a lawyer who will review your claim at no cost or obligation.
Last updated on Oct-20-09
|
HIP AND KNEE REPLACEMENT ARTICLES AND INTERVIEWS
Medical Devices May Lead To Particle Disease
 Kansas City, MO: Doctors, scientists and medical researchers are increasingly questioning the safety of medical devices. Yet according to medical consumer activist Ruby Rahn, the public remains largely unaware of the potential dangers those medical devices pose. [ Read More ]
Metal-on-Metal Hip Replacements Failing, Triggering Complications for Patients
 Milan, IL: A new issue emerging around artificial hip replacements is of interest to any patient who has received a metal-on-metal device. A recent editorial in the Journal of Arthroplasty, a noted medical journal for orthopedic surgeons, has urged doctors to use metal-on-metal devices only with "great caution, if at all." [ Read More ]
Procedure may reduce risk of hip replacement lawsuit
 Coldwater, MI: Some medical professionals have recently looked at a new type of surgery that may reduce the amount of hip replacement implant failures. [ Read More ]
MORE HIP AND KNEE REPLACEMENT
YOUR HIP AND KNEE REPLACEMENT STORIES
Publish your Hip and Knee Replacement experience here for our readers to learn from.
|
