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Anyone who has undergone hip replacement surgery will tell you that the process is lengthy, the price is high and the recuperation period is often painful. Imagine going through that process only to find out that your artificial hip squeaks and there’s nothing you can do about it.
Ceramic hips were supposed to be better
For many years, replacement hips were made from metal or plastic parts. Ceramic hips, such as the Stryker Corporation’s Trident PSL and Hemispherical Acetabular Cups, are a relatively new concept that was supposed to work better. However, more and more patients with ceramic hips are having them replaced with metal and plastic parts because the squeaking is simply unbearable.
A New York Times article recently featured three patients with ceramic hips and told their stories:
- John Johnson. The first time John L. Johnson’s artificial hip squeaked, he was bending down to pick up a pine cone in his yard in Georgia. He looked up, expecting to find an animal nearby. He has already had his ceramic hip replaced.
- Susan O’Toole. Susan O’Toole, a nutritionist in New York who first squeaked going up stairs after getting home from her hip-replacement surgery in 2005, said she thought the banister she was gripping needed repair.
- Edward Heary. Edward Heary, an apprentice appraiser in Pennsylvania said clients sometimes look with embarrassment or concern at their floorboards when he walks though their homes.
While readers can certainly sympathize with these patients, words simply can’t describe what they have to live with on a day to day basis. You have to hear it to fully understand. To listen to actual samples of squeaking hips, go to either:
To read the full New York Times article, go to: www.nytimes.com/2008/05/11/business/11hip.html/
How many patients experience squeaking?
There are differing opinions on how many patients with ceramic hips experience squeaking. Stryker Corporation maintains that squeaking occurs in less than one percent of its implants. However, a study published in Orthopedics Today reports that 11.4 percent of patients with ceramic hip implants, such as Stryker Corporation’s Trident PSL and Hemispherical Acetabular Cups, experience squeaking well above the average audible range.
Litigation is just beginning
According to Doug Kreis, a Florida attorney whose firm represents hip replacement victims, litigation in this area is just beginning. He says that patients have contacted him because they are experiencing pain and/or squeaking. He told us, “Those with pain are calling because they need relief. Those without pain, but whose implants are squeaking, are calling because their doctors have told them, ‘Don’t worry about it, and come back and we’ll do some more X-rays. We’ll do some weight-bearing exercises.’
If you are experiencing problems with Stryker’s Trident PSL and Hemispherical Acetabular Cups, contact an experienced attorney who has been following this issue to discuss your situation. For a free, no-obligation consultation, please click here. We may be able to help.
