Profemur Artificial Hips Keep Breaking Inside of Patients

Over the past several years, many individuals across the United States had new Profemur artificial hips put in. While they thought that they would be able to gain some of their quality of life back with these artificial hips, the devices broke within a few short years.

As a result, some of these patients found themselves in difficult situations where they could no longer get up, walk, or move around, and had to choose to quit their jobs or retire early. Defective products can be dangerous, especially when they are defective medical devices.

What happened to the individuals who experienced broken artificial hips?

According to a recent news article published by CBS News, four different individuals who had new Profemur artificial hips experienced accidents where their hips broke in half. The artificial hips were expected to last over 20 years, but these patients experienced fractures a lot sooner. Below, we will tell you a little information about each person:

• Bradley Little: A P.E. teacher named Bradley Little was guiding his students through his school when he fell to the ground instantly. He thought that he might be sick or having a serious medical condition. However, when he attempted to get back on his feet, he realized that his leg would not cooperate. Little was rushed to the hospital right away, where an X-ray showed that his new Profemur artificial hip broke. His lawsuit states that the artificial hip split where it was connecting his torso to his thigh. Unfortunately, four years later, a second break occurred in his Profemur hip. As a result, he has to retire from being a P.E. teacher a few years early and can no longer coach or play any sports, which is his greatest passion.
• Mark Feld: A runner named Mark Feld had two Profemur artificial hips implanted in both his legs. After 10 years, his right hip became fractured. He filed a lawsuit in which the medical facility paid him a settlement outside of court. Unfortunately, Feld could not file a lawsuit against the medical facility again when the artificial hip implant completely broke. The reason behind this is because in the first settlement he “surrendered all claims” against the company. However, it does not take away from the fact that the accident was frightening and traumatizing. Feld was walking on a bridge close to his home when he hit the pavement. Then, he had to crawl all the way home to call law enforcement for assistance. He mentions that it took him a very long time to go on the bridge again.
• Perry Parks: A previous football player for the Los Angeles Rams, Perry Parks experienced a broken Profemur artificial hip six years after receiving the implant. He decided to file a lawsuit against the company. However, the company provided Parks with a settlement outside of court. He was riding a bicycle on a beach when the break occurred, which he describes as “lucky” because he fell onto the sand instead of near oncoming vehicles.
• Kristin Biorn: Kristin Biorn filed a lawsuit against the company after her Profemur artificial hip broke within two short years. She owned her own home-staging company and was in the middle of her workday when the break happened. Biorn collapsed on the floor and could not move at all. Luckily, her son was with her and dialed 9-1-1 because her cellular device was on a different floor of the house and no clients were expected to arrive for several days. While she was transported to the nearest hospital immediately, it took three different surgeries to repair her Profemur break. Eventually, she made the tough decision to shut down her business and seek retirement. The company settled Biorn’s case outside of court. To this day, she can no longer get around without using a cane.

Unfortunately, there were many other individuals who experienced these Profemur breaks. The article explains that there is a high chance that some of these fractures could have been prevented if the FDA or the hip implant manufacturer acted urgently when the warning signs were brought to light. In fact, it points out that the FDA reported a Profemur implant break as early as 2005, but they were not recalled for 15 more years. It took more than 600 reported fractures for a recall to ever be issued.

About the company behind these Profemur artificial hip implants

The company that is behind these Profemur artificial hip implants is called Wright Medical, which is a medical company located in Tennessee. Wright Medical was known for creating implant devices for over 50 years. While the company is now owned by Stryker, a report by the Securities and Exchange Commission shows that a Chinese company called MicroPort bought its division for hip and knee implants about a decade ago. Microport currently promotes the Profemur hip implants on its website, but, in bold letters, it states that “this product is not marketed/registered in the United States.”

The lawsuits show that the Profemur hip replacement implant is defective

The American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons states that “if you have your total joint replaced today, you have a 90-95% chance that your joint will last 10 years, and a 80-85% that it will last 20 years.” However, many of the Profemur hip implants broke as early as two or three years in. When this happened, the patients needed multiple surgeries, which resulted in expensive medical bills and a tremendous amount of pain and suffering.

As a result, many individuals sued Wright Medical, claiming that the Profemur hip implants were defective. In addition, the lawsuits also mentioned that the company knew about the defects but continued to put their profits over individuals’ health.

If you had a Profemur hip replacement and experienced any negative side effects or complications from this implant, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Richmond product liability attorneys at Phelan Petty Injury Lawyers at your earliest opportunity. Our team is experienced, skilled, and knowledgeable when it comes to the laws surrounding product liability issues, and we have what it takes to stand up to large and powerful medical device manufacturers and demand the compensation you deserve. If you are ready to find out if you have a valid claim and can pursue damages, call our office or submit our contact form today. We legally assist clients throughout the entire state of Virginia for your convenience.