Birmingham Hip Failures Prompt Smith & Nephew to Issue Warning

Failures in Birmingham hip replacement system prompted its manufacturer, Smith & Nephew, to publish a public warning. The company discovered that Birminham hip’s failure rate is higher than set by regulators in the UK. As per studies conducted, Birmingham hip device is above the 1% benchmark set by the United Kingdom’s clinical agency, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. The company’s move, however, has sent several recipients of the device to lodge a Smith and Nephew Hip Replacement lawsuit.
In submitting their research results to the National Joint Registry of Wales and England, the researchers who conducted the studies concluded that the subject hip replacement system registered a 1.29% failure rate. Meanwhile, the Australian Orthopedic Association’s National Joint Replacement Registry reported a 1.12% failure rate for the same medical device.
In the United States, researchers are having difficulties determining the failure rate of the Birmingham hip replacement system.  The researchers blame the obstacles to the completion of the US data gathering on the absence of proper tracking procedures for medical devices on the part of the FDA. The government regulatory agency, nonetheless, is keeping a record of data for all the adverse events linked to the device.  The consumers voluntarily submit these reports to the agency.
In the warning, the manufacturer is reminding medical practitioners that there are several circumstances affecting the rate of failure for both hip revision surgery and hip replacement device. The company added that patients who have a small femoral head, usually under 46mm, are more likely to have the chance of suffering the failures of the medical device.  Smith & Nephew further stated that patients, mostly those already suffering from osteonecrosis, are most likely vulnerable to the failures of Birmingham hip device. In addition to the aforementioned factors, the company also warns that women of childbearing age, including people who are heavily obese, has the higher chance of suffering the hip device’s failures. Furthermore, the company warns osteoporotic patients (including those with ailing metabolism, infections, weak bone mass, weakness of muscle and sensitivity to metal problems) should avoid receiving, under any circumstances, the Birmingham hip replacement system.
Metal-on-metal hip replacement devices and their components, including the Birmingham hip replacement, were linked to some severe adverse conditions. As such, the medical professionals and government health regulators have found it worrisome to use such hip systems. In fact, claims in various reports show that these devices, as its components grind against each other, release potentially harmful minute metal shards into the bodily system of its patients.  It thus increases the danger of inflammation, loss of bone, metal poisoning, and damage to the surrounding tissue, to name a few. There are also reported cases of patients manifesting pseudo-tumors, soft tissue lesions, and buildup of fluid. As alleviation of such complications is necessary, a patient would have to undergo a corrective surgery on the hip.
The number of patients affected by metal-on-metal hip device complications has come to than a thousand, some of whom have filed a hip replacement lawsuit against Smith & Nephew, several more contemplating doing the same.  This number has prompted several personal injury law firms to set up online lawsuit information centers to reach out to victims needing legal help. One of these is Rottenstein Law Group in New York that offers free legal help through its rotlaw.com.  One may find in this website a list of metal-on-metal hip device manufacturers who are facing lawsuits.