Overview
Mass Tort Attorneys Investigating Defective Hip Replacement Systems
Robins Kaplan’s Mass Tort Group is currently investigating cases involving Zimmer Biomet’s total hip replacement components, the M/L Taper Hip Stem and M/L Taper with Kinectiv® Technology hip stem.
Recently, there have been reports of early revisions due to corrosion at the junction between the hip stems and cobalt chrome heads in these total hip replacements.1 The failure appears to occur at the taper lock, which is the part of the hip implant that connects the femoral head (ball) to the femoral neck. The Australian Orthopaedic Association’s National Joint Replacement Registry listed the M/L Taper with Kinectiv® Technology as having “higher than anticipated rates of revision.”2
Patients implanted with these hip components may experience elevated cobalt and/or chromium metal levels in their blood, loss of mobility, pain, inflammation, ALTR (adverse local tissue reaction), dislocation, joint instability, and the need for revision surgery. If you have had a total hip replacement and think your symptoms may be related to a taper lock failure of the Zimmer Biomet M/L Taper or M/L Taper with Kinectiv® stem, contact our attorneys for a free case evaluation at 1.800.553.9910 or by completing our online contact form above.
1 Canham C et al. Corrosion and Adverse Local Tissue Reaction After Total Hip Arthroplasty with a Modular Titanium Alloy Femoral Neck, Arthroplast. Today, 2017 Dec; 3(4); 211-214 (corrosion at the head/neck junction in an M/L Taper with Kinectiv® technology stem with metal head) (accessible at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5712034/ ); Manth M, et al., Trunnion Corrosion Causing Failure in Metal-on-Polyethylene Total Hip Arthroplasty with Monolithic Femoral Components, Reconstructive Rev., Vol. 6, No. 1, April 2016 (corrosion at the head/neck junction in an M/L Taper stem with metal head) (accessible on the web at https://reconstructivereview.org/ojs/index.php/rr/article/view/131/166).
2 https://aoanjrr.sahmri.com/zh/annual-reports-2015/prostheses-investigations/-/document_library_display/0L9rf8tbBCcY/view/455855