U.S. Drug Watchdog Urges Pinnacle Hip Implant Recipients to Come Forward

Over 130,000 Americans received a DePuy Pinnacle metal-on-metal hip implant between the years of 2005 and 2010. Although its counterpart, the DePuy ASR XL hip replacement system was recalled in 2009, the Pinnacle, while employing the same construction methods and materials, has not been recalled. Because of the recall of the ASR, there is mounting concern that the Pinnacle may also expose recipients to the dangers of metallosis or metal toxicity. The U.S. Drug Watchdog has stated their goal of reaching each and every one of the recipients of the Pinnacle implant to ensure none who have suffered harm are left behind.

Although only about a thousand people have come forward to date, the U.S. Drug Watchdog believes those numbers will grow rapidly, reaching well over 100,000. When the victims are properly identified they will then be provided access to the most knowledgeable attorneys who possess a thorough background in the intricacies of the metal hip implant. The objective of the U.S. Drug Watchdog is to ensure every person who had their health harmed because of a metal-on-metal hip implant receives appropriate compensation for failure of the implant.

Metal Hip Implant Hazards

The DePuy metal-on-metal hip implant system implements a metal femoral head and metal acetabular cup, both constructed of cobalt and chromium. While most metal hip implants of this type are expected to last a minimum of fifteen years, the New York Times reported last December on the extremely high failure rate of the Pinnacle. In many cases the metal hip implants are exhibiting signs of failure within mere months of the original surgery. During physical activity the femoral head and cup rub against one another leading to microscopic metal ions shaving off and entering surrounding tissues or even the blood stream. Should the small metal ions imbed into surrounding tissue they can lead to tissue damage, extreme inflammation, tumors, severe and chronic pain in the groin and back and elevated levels of toxic metals in the bloodstream. The toxic metals in the bloodstream can lead to kidney and liver disease as well as certain types of cancer.

The U.S. Drug Watchdog Questions

Officials with The U.S. Drug Watchdog have questioned the necessity of the FDA based on the fact that thousands of Americans have had a metal-on-metal hip implant despite studies showing the implants had a high failure rate and could expose recipients to toxic levels of chromium and cobalt. The question appears valid when you consider the many innocent victims who are facing a lifetime of health concerns due to a medical device which slid right through FDA approval under the 510(k) process which requires neither human testing nor clinical trials. It is hoped that all victims can be identified by the U.S. Drug Watchdog in an effort to help them.