Articles Tagged with metal-on-metal hips

Smith & Nephew Birmingham Hip Lawsuits: Bellwether Trials Scheduled

Published on: November 6, 2019 | By Clay Hodges

Judge Catherine Blake, who is overseeing the Smith & Nephew Birmingham hip multi-district litigation in Baltimore, Maryland, recently issued an order setting out the bellwether trial schedule for the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing (BHR) cases.

Just to recap: there are two tracks of cases in the Smith & Nephew Birmingham hip litigation: BHR and THA. BHR refers to cases involving injured people who received Smith & Nephew Birmingham hip components as part of a resurfacing procedure. The BHR resurfacing system is a metal-on-metal (MoM) artificial hip, but in resurfacing procedures the hip “ball” bone is resurfaced with a metal covering and a metal acetabular shell is implanted into the hip socket, thus creating a MoM articulation. Smith & Nephew used cobalt and chromium to construct both of these resurfacing components. As with all metal-on-metal artificial hips, the Smith & Nephew BHR has been shown to wear down and leach metals into the blood and tissue of the patient, a condition called metallosis.

The second track of cases involves total hip arthroplasties (THA) using Smith & Nephew Birmingham components. These total hip replacements are constructed with Smith & Nephew BHR components and non-BHR components, but instead of resurfacing the “ball-bone” with a metal covering the bone is removed and replaced with a metal ball component (a femoral head).

Dr. Steven Tower Is Trying to Save the World from Chrome Cobalt Artificial Hips

Published on: October 16, 2018 | By Clay Hodges

If you have any interest in artificial hips, you need to follow the work of Dr. Steven Tower. An orthopedic surgeon in Anchorage Alaska, Dr. Tower has built a one-man research laboratory studying the horrifying health effects of chrome and cobalt hip components. While hip manufacturers have been slow to produce meaningful studies on the ill-effects of metallosis on the human body, Dr. Tower decided to study his own patients. What he discovered could save lives.

Dr. Tower’s Backstory

Steven Tower’s story is remarkable. He is featured in the Netflix medical device documentary The Bleeding Edge. Dr. Tower is an avid cyclist and needed a hip replacement several years ago. He chose the DePuy ASR metal-on-metal artificial hip because it was marketed to “exceptionally active individuals.” Several months after his hip replacement surgery, however, Dr. Tower noticed a tremor in his hand. His ears started ringing, his thinking became confused and he began repeating himself when he spoke. One night while attending a medical conference Dr. Tower had a mental breakdown and trashed his hotel room. He wrote all over the walls with sharpies and pens, and wrote on the hotel mirrors with soap. When he returned home he measured the metal levels in his blood, and the test results revealed 100 times the normal amount of cobalt that should be in his body. Dr. Tower soon arranged to have his metal hip components removed in a revision surgery. Within a month his thinking cleared and his other symptoms mostly disappeared. He was relieved, but also intrigued.

The Bleeding Edge: Film Examines Dangers of Medical Device Industry

Published on: August 27, 2018 | By Clay Hodges

For more than three years I have been writing about the dangers of certain implanted medical devices. These devices include artificial hips, hernia mesh, IUDs, IVC filters, and others. And some have caused massive human suffering: neurological problems, sexual dysfunction, immobility, infertility, headaches, pain, even death. If you are reading this sentence then you discovered my site because of your interest in medical devices and the problems they can cause. And if you are interested in this subject, you must see the new Netflix documentary The Bleeding Edge.

The Bleeding Edge is a remarkable film investigating the public health crisis caused by our current medical device industry. It examines the two main causes permitting the manufacture and sale of defective medical devices: corporate greed and inadequate FDA oversight. It is a tragic story, particularly when the film takes a close look at many of the actual victims of these harmful medical devices. It’s one thing to hear that the Essure birth control device has injured thousands of women; it’s quite another when you see a woman on screen explain how she has given up on her hope to find love because she can no longer have intercourse due to permanent internal injuries. It is deeply sad to hear these stories. And it may have you writing your member of congress. Which you should.

I urge you to check out the film. Here are a few key takeaways:

★★★★★

I was involved in a case for the faulty hip replacements. Clay Hodges represented me. I can't say enough about how much he has helped me. Clay was able to win multiple settlements on my behalf with most of them being the maximum amount able to be awarded. Matt J.

Clay, thank you sir for making a disheartening experience at least palatable, you and your staff were honest, caring and understanding through the entire process of my wife’s hip replacements, while monetary settlements never make the pain and suffering end, it sometimes is the only way people can fight back to right a wrong. J. V.

We are absolutely pleased with how Clay Hodges handled my husband’s hip replacement claim. He always kept us informed of the progress. And, his work resulted in a settlement which we are extremely pleased. Thank you, Clay! Carol L. & Norm L.