Modular Dual Mobility (MDM) Hip Replacement Gaining Popularity

Just when people are starting to lose hope because of the rapid increase of complaints of those suffering from the defective hip implant, a new kind of hip replacement is out in the market -- the modular dual mobility (MDM), medical experts say. The failed implants were manufactured by DePuy Orthopaedics, a unit of the Johnson & Johnson, whose hip replacement system’s failures triggered the recall in 2010.  The company and its executives faced several lawsuits and made several settlements which amounted to $200,000 awarded to every DePuy ASR hip replacements complainant.

The MDM uses a small metal or ceramic head that fits into a larger high-tech plastic head. This large plastic head then fits inside a smooth metal cup. Because of plastic head is large enough, the MDM provides the joint stability in order for the patients to get into recreational and sports activities. The large head also allows a greater, more normal range of motion than standard implants. The small head moves within the plastic large head, and it in turn moves in the socket. This design is called a "dual mobility" cup, according to the Wftv.com website.

The hip is considered as  one of the body's largest joints. It is a ball-and-socket joint. The socket is shaped by the acetabulum, which is part of the large pelvis bone. The ball is the femoral head, which is the upper end of the femur (thighbone). The bone surfaces of the ball and socket are covered with articular cartilage, a smooth tissue that cushions the ends of the bones and enables them to move easily. A thin tissue called synovial membrane surrounds the hip joint. In a healthy hip, this membrane makes a small amount of fluid that lubricates the cartilage and get rids of almost all friction during hip mobility. Bands of tissue called ligaments (the hip capsule) associates the ball to the socket and provide stability to the joint.

One of the common causes of people deciding to undergo hip replacement is when they cannot bear anymore the hip pain caused by osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is an age-related “wear and tear” type of arthritis. Like other chronic conditions, It  has no single, specific cause. Instead, there are several factors involved in the disease, including heredity and lifestyle. It usually occurs in people 50 years of age and older and often in individuals with a family history of arthritis. The cartilage cushioning the bones of the hip wears away. The bones then rub against each other, causing hip pain and stiffness. Osteoarthritis may also be caused or accelerated by subtle irregularities in how the hip developed in childhood. To know more about the settlement cases with DePuy, check  The DePuy Settlement website.


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URL REFERENCES:

wftv.com/news/news/health-med-fit-science/hip-new-hip-replacement-mdm/nRB2p/

arthritistoday.org/conditions/osteoarthritis/all-about-oa/what-is-oa.php

Avoid Fraudulent “Joint Registry” Web Sites!

DePuy Orthopaedics issued a worldwide recall over its ASR Hip Replacement series. It occurred in part because the National Joint Registry of England and Wales tracked a higher-than-normal failure rate for the devices. As far as modern medicine and state monitoring were concerned, the registry critically demonstrated its necessity. The quality of life for thousands of potential recipients was saved as they were spared the pain and humiliation of DePuy’s defective hip replacements.

In response, there are now two initiatives in the United States to create hip replacement registries: The American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR) and the National Orthopaedic Outcome Registry (NOOR). The AJRR is a private sector effort by orthopedists and artificial joint manufacturers to track artificial joints. The NOOR is a government registry that will survey people at the five hospitals at which most joint procedures take place, but it will also track people’s post-surgery experiences. Neither of these is close to fully operational, and potential recipients will be notified by their orthopedists if they wish to take part in them as privacy issues are paramount.

In the aftermath of the DePuy recall, since it also became apparent that the company likely knew about the implants’ defectiveness yet sold it on the market anyway, hundreds of people filed hip replacement lawsuits. Thousands more are likely to follow in a very large episode of mass tort litigation.

However, not all hip replacement lawyers are scrupulous in seeking DePuy recipients as clients. One would-be hip replacement attorney set up a web site claiming to be the “National Hip Recall Registry” and used it to direct clients to his practice. The site has been shut down. People wishing to reach a DePuy lawsuit settlement should be wary of attorneys masquerading as hip replacement registries.