Artificial Joint Numbers and Injury Numbers at High Levels

According to the Associated Press, more than two out of every 100 Americans now have an artificial joint, including knee and hip replacements.

Not surprisingly, the number grows higher as people age. The AP reported that among people over the age of 50, five percent of Americans have had knee replacements and more than two percent have had hip replacements.

“They are remarkable numbers,” Dr. Daniel J. Berry, chairman of orthopedic surgery at the Mayo Clinic, told the AP.

About 7 million people in the U.S. are living with a total hip or knee replacement, according to the news outlet.

The results were reported at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons conference in New Orleans last week. According to the AP, more than 600,000 knees and about 400,000 hips are replaced each year in the U.S.

Arthritis is the most common cause for joint replacement.

What to do if you have a Hip Implant

Elevated hip replacement numbers should be concerning. While some implants are fine, some have led to lawsuits, settlements, recalls, and revision surgeries:

• As the AP reported, last year, Stryker Corp. recalled some hip implant products because of corrosion problems. If you have questions about defective hip implants, you can visit our Stryker injury page.
• Last month, Biomet offered to pay $200,000 each to hundreds of people who received artificial hips that had to later be replaced.
• In November 2013, Johnson & Johnson agreed to pay $2.5 billion to settle roughly 8,000 patients’ lawsuits over their DePuy ASR all-metal hip implant it pulled from the market in 2010.
  

If you have been injured or are suffering because of a defective metal hip implant, we can help you. Contact our experienced metal-on-metal hip attorneys by calling toll-free 888-841-9623 today.

Zoll & Kranz, LLC – Stryker Hip Attorneys 

Source: http://www.mantecabulletin.com/section/150/article/100268/