Personal Injury Law

Cobalt poisoning causing further complications for Tennessee Hip Recall victims

Since the Depuy and Johnson and Johnson recalls regarding hip implants, a great deal of the focus has been on the surgical procedure that will need to be repeated to replace a faulty or defective hip. However, it is becoming apparent that another area of concern that may be overlooked is affecting a number of victims as well: Cobalt poisoning or cobaltism.
Cobalt poisoning is a bodily reaction to the metal that is breaking down in the hip implants that are the focus of this hip recall. Cobalt poisoning can lead to metallosis, a very serious condition that can lead to a breakdown in the tissue surrounding the hip joint which can reduce the likelihood that a second invasive hip replacement procedure will be successful.

Some of the more severe signs and symptoms that can be associated with cobaltism include:

? Tinnitus
? Deafness
? Visual Changes
? Vertigo
? Rashes
? Hypothyroidism
? Tremor
? Dyspnea
? Heart Failure
? Mood Disorders
? Dementia

These substantial injuries can be a result of the metal breaking down in the defective or faulty hip implant. It is extremely important that your doctor adequately and appropriately tests for the presence of metal in your blood if you have one of the implants in your body. That is true regardless of whether you are currently experiencing more overt symptoms associated with failure of the implant. Additionally, it is important that your attorney is aware of this type of risk when negotiating your claim.

The hip implants in question are as the ASR XL Acetabular System and DePuy ASR Hip Resurfacing System. In August 2010, the DePuy Orthopaedics company, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, issued a voluntary recall of two hip replacement systems.

Full post as published by Tennessee Law Blog on February 18, 2011 (boomark / email).