Patients in the United Kingdom are experiencing the same problems with metal-on-metal hip replacements that those here in the United States are suffering. The manufacturers of one defective metal hip device called the ‘Birmingham Hip Modular Head total hip replacement’ (BHMH) have recently disclosed that their product is holding up much worse than was previously known. Smith & Nephew Orthopaedics Limited is the manufacture of the defective BHMH replacement hip device.
New Safety Notice From Metal Hip Maker in Britain Discloses Patients’ High Levels of Chromium and Cobalt in the Bloodstream and Unacceptable Risk of Replacement Hip Failure
In response to the revelation, the British Medicines & Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has made public an Urgent Field Safety Notice from Smith & Nephew about the metal on metal hip replacement. MHRA is the agency in England that regulates the safety of medical devices and medicines.
The Urgent Field Safety Notice is the third that Smith & Nephew has released. In England, manufacturers are required to send out such notices to caution users about potential dangers associated with their devices. Smith & Nephew circulated the earlier warnings in October 2012 and May 2013. In 2014, the medical device makerreportedly phased out the BHMH device entirely.
A newly released clinical study in the United Kingdom reports that 43 percent of patients who received the BHMH implant were found to have high levels of chromium and cobalt in the bloodstream. In addition, it has been determined that the BHMH device has a failure rate after six years that is three times greater than England’s National Health Service deems acceptable.
Contact Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel to Learn More About Filing a Metal-on-Metal Hip Implant Lawsuit
Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel is a national plaintiffs’ law firm devoted to helping families in personal injury and wrongful death cases involving metal-on-metal hip implants manufactured by a number of companies, including Stryker, Zimmer, Biomet and DePuy. If you have suffered injuries or the death of a loved one associated with metal-on-metal hip replacements, contact us by email or call us at 800.226.9880to speak with one of our hip implant attorneys, like Sara Coopwood in the firm’s Texas office, and learn more about how we can assist you with a metal-on-metal hip replacement lawsuit or claim.
