Patients who have experienced multiple Zimmer hip replacement problems have filed Zimmer hip lawsuits alleging side effects from the Durom Cup model ranging from device dislocation and revision surgery to metal poisoning. After 2008’s Zimmer hip recall, it was only a matter of time before the orthopedic maker introduced a new hip replacement system that would seek to correct the defects of the Durom Cup.

Zimmer’s new Maxera Cup is supposedly an improvement on the previous version, but will its failure rates be low enough to avoid a Zimmer hip recall?

Zimmer Maxera Cup provides greater range of motion

According to Zimmer, the Maxera Cup avoids the Zimmer hip replacement problems of the Durom Cup model by featuring a femoral head component that is much larger in diameter than the equivalent piece in the Durom Cup. The larger head provides increased stability, a greater range of motion, and theoretically a lower rate of device dislocation.

The Maxera Cup relies, as does the Durom Cup, on biocompatibility, or the natural fusing of bone to device components without reliance on an adhesive glue.

Many Zimmer hip lawsuits allege Zimmer hip replacement problems stemming from the fact that the Durom Cup model was a metal-on-metal device. The various metal component parts grind against one another during use, often expelling tiny metal shavings that become embedded in nearby tissue, and from there can enter the bloodstream. The result can be dangerously high levels of metal ions in the patient’s bloodstream, or even metal poisoning, which can be fatal.

Zimmer metallosis avoided with new materials

The Maxera Cup bypasses this potential hazard by being constructed exclusively of ceramic, and not metal, parts.

Will the eradication of metal components help the company avoid a Zimmer hip recall and subsequent Zimmer hip lawsuits? Only time, and an FDA-mandated study — will tell.

In May of 2011, the FDA exercised its authority to order all orthopedic device manufacturers, including Zimmer, to produce detailed reports about the success and failure rates of their artificial hip systems, along with the frequency that patients require revision surgery. Though the findings from these reports may not be available for three or even four years, they may very well be critical in determining if Zimmer hip replacement problems are frequent enough to justify a Zimmer hip recall.