The legal claims typically involve what is called strict liability for a defective product, breach of warranty, negligence and strict liability for failure to warn recipients in a timely manner of the defect. Several lawsuits have already been filed around the country. The problem The socket portion of the implant has a machine oil residue that prevents it from adhering to the patient's hipbone. These sockets do not allow the patients body to heal properly and the oil prevents the bone from growing and grafting into place. An alternate technique to cement the socket to the bone is more often used in elderly patients, cemented implants are not the type subject to the recall.
Many patients experience debilitating pain and are unable to stand or walk unaided.
A second revision surgery will take twice as long and carries more risk than the initial implant. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, there are around 310,000 people in the United States that undergo partial or full hip replacements each year. It is considered major surgery, though a common one. Sulzer is a major manufacturer of hip implant devices. Overall, Sulzer's full hip replacement business makes up about 11 percent of the market.