Earl's View » Health

Dr Steve speaks on MoM Hip problems and Hips in general

earlstevens58 — Sat, 30 Nov 2013 20:52:13 +0000

Dr Stephen Tower talks about hips and MoM problems

This is a one hour talk.

Consumer’s Union had Dr Steve talk last month at Columbia School of Journalism.

It covers a lot of ground not only about the metal-metal hips but about hip replacement in general.

I am in the process of watching it myself and so can’t give you a big review here – but please post your thoughts and comments below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xtivtrin8Q&feature=youtu.be

Lise’s story – another DePuy Victim

earlstevens58 — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 21:26:12 +0000

Lise’s Story – all too common

I came across this story recently – and a very useful website you might like to take a look at.

http://www.hiphelp.org/mystory.html

here’s a snippet from Lise

In March, 2008, I received a new right hip. It was supposed to be the latest, most innovative hip manufactured by DePuy, a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson.

I did not know much about joints or hip replacements before this procedure other than they are what “old” people have or those who have over-exercised their joints. I knew I had congenital arthritis from a birth defect known as dysplasia which affects a certain percentage of the population.

I was a dancer, (not professionally, just a passion), former cheerleader, a mom, wife, professional person, business owner,runner, hiker, and gym rat. At about age 49, the arthritis was making itself known to me. Since I am a business owner and now consultant, my livelihood and that of my family depends upon my good health.

I was armed with internet research. I asked my doctor if my device had any recalls or complaints with the FDA. All indications were, this was one of the most successful surgeries in general.

The device, heavily recommend by my physician was a metal on metal hip or MoM implant. It would wear at least 20 years and it is what all baby boomers and professional athletes who needed new joints were receiving (according to my surgeon).

The surgery, if you have ever seen on YouTube, is pretty brutal. They use tools that reside in your garage; hacksaw, drill, hammer and chisels. They dislocated the hip, saw off the head of the joint, ream out the hip socket, drill out the bone marrow in your thigh and tap in a 7 inch (est.) long metal “stake” in your thigh. They put a ball on the end, (metal, ceramic or combination of both), and then put a cup made of metal or plastic in the socket as you would have a ball rolling about in a bowl. They have different size cups and balls for every size but much depends on the skill of the surgeon. You can come out with a limp and face future dislocations, have one leg shorter than the other, or the best and most widely touted case is you will fare better off than you were before and be pain free!

The surgery went as expected. I went home after two days but had significant back pain – unusual for me since I never had any back issues prior to the surgery. I just assumed it was the result of a bad hospital bed.

The Onder Law Firm Clarifies What the DePuy Hip Recall Lawsuit Settlement Means to Those Who Did Not File (prweb.com)
US Drug Watchdog Now Urges Recipients Of The Recalled DePuy ASR Hip Implant To Call Them About A Just Announced Settlement If They Are Not Yet Represented By Counsel (prweb.com)
Johnson & Johnson agrees to pay $2.5 billion to resolve thousands of hip replacement lawsuits (canadianbusiness.com)
Johnson & Johnson DePuy hip implant settlement reported (lawprofessors.typepad.com)
J&J to pay $2.5B to settle hip replacement suits (abqjournal.com)
Meyers & Flowers Announce $2. … (biomedreports.com)
J&J Said to Reach $4 Billion Deal to Settle Hip Lawsuits (bloomberg.com)
DePuy ASR Lawsuit News: Wright & Schulte LLC Files Hip Implant Lawsuit on Behalf of Man Who Purportedly Developed Hip Replacement Complications Due to ASR Hip Implant (prweb.com)
DePuy ASR Settlement Update: Rottenstein Law Group LLP Comments on $4 Billion DePuy Hip Settlement News (businesslawdaily.net)
J&J to settle hip-replacement suits for $2.5B (thedailyrecord.com)

Johnson & Johnson Said to Agree to $4 Billion Settlement Over Hip Implants

earlstevens58 — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 09:05:42 +0000

Johnson & Johnson Said to Agree to $4 Billion Settlement Over Hip Implants

Andrew Testa for The New York Times

A faulty Articular Surface Replacement, or A.S.R., removed from a patient in 2010.

By BARRY MEIER

Published: November 12, 2013

Johnson & Johnson has tentatively agreed to a settlement that could reach up to $4 billion to resolve thousands of lawsuits filed by patients injured by a flawed all-metal replacement hip, said two lawyers briefed on the plan.

The tentative plan, which must win court approval, represents one of the largest payouts for product liability claims involving a medical device.

A spokeswoman for the company’s DePuy Orthopaedics unit declined to comment on the possibility of a settlement. An announcement about the plan is expected in the coming days, the lawyers said.

The agreement will include those patients who have already been forced to have the device, known as the Articular Surface Replacement, or A.S.R., removed and replaced with another artificial hip, said the lawyers who spoke about the agreement only on the condition of anonymity.

Under the deal, each patient would receive about $350,000 on average in compensation, though that figure will vary depending on factors like a patient’s age and medical condition.

The precise value of the settlement is unclear because lawyers for patients are still trying to estimate how many of the 12,000 related lawsuits involve patients who had a replacement. Lawyers believe that number may be 7,000 to 8,000 cases.

The final cost of the deal to Johnson & Johnson could rise, depending on how many claimants who received the device undergo replacement operations in the future, the lawyers said. Under the plan, patients who have not had a replacement would not receive compensation, the lawyers said.

Read the full article here – New York Times

Johnson & Johnson Said to Agree to $4 Billion Settlement Over Hip Implants (nytimes.com)
J&J Said to Reach $4 Billion Deal to Settle Hip Lawsuits (bloomberg.com)
Johnson & Johnson DePuy hip implant settlement reported (lawprofessors.typepad.com)
Johnson & Johnson said to reach settlement for hip-implant suits (denverpost.com)
Johnson & Johnson Reaches $4 Billion Settlement Over Hip Implants (theatlanticwire.com)
Johnson & Johnson Investors Sweat, but the Dow Bounces Back (fool.com)
Johnson & Johnson Offer Two Settlement Deals for the DePuy ASR Hip Replacements (prweb.com)
Johnson & Johnson said to reach $4 billion accord to settle hip-implant claims (nj.com)
Johnson & Johnson to pay $4 billion settlement over metal-on-metal hip implants: Report (cbsnews.com)
DePuy ASR Settlement Update: Rottenstein Law Group LLP Comments on $4 Billion DePuy Hip Settlement News (businesslawdaily.net)

Filed under: Cobalt chrome, Cobalt Poisoning, Cobaltism, DePuy ASR Hip, DePuy Hip Litigation, Hip Replacement, Hip Revisions, Johnson & Johnson, Metal on metal hip, Total Hip Replacement Tagged: arthritis, Cobalt chrome, Cobalt poisoning, DePuy, DePuy ASR Hip, DePuy ASR™ Hip Resurfacing System, Food & Drug Administration, Health, Hip Replacement, hip replacement failure, hip resurfacing, Human settlement, Johnson, Johnson & Johnson, Medical device, New York TImes, Patient, Product Liability

Scott’s Biomet agony – and now relief with it gone…

earlstevens58 — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 07:44:07 +0000

Good Morning Earl,

I have been battling my Biomet Magnum M2A hip since it was implanted some eight years ago.. On August 28, 2013 I had that hip replaced with a ceramic device. The relief has been INCREDIBLE!

During the past eight years I have dealt with pain 24/7 and tried everything imaginable (including more than 40 outpatient pain blocks!) all to no avail. I’ve spent countless hours in doctor’s offices, doing various types of physical therapy, filling out forms, waiting for prescriptions to be filled…… you name it. I’ve lost my career, and have not earned one dime of income during this time. Most of my life was spent sitting atop the bed with my leg elevated. That-plus pain medication-was my only way of obtaining any relief. Even then the pain never stopped.

I want to describe this pain in detail. Any number of sensations appeared in various order with no real rhyme or reason. The worst was the sensation of my femur throbbing-just like a toothache inside of the bone. I also experienced stinging and burning in my thigh and buttock on that side. Often, my thigh would feel three times the normal size-as if were going to burst like a water balloon. I had pain behind my knee, pain in my calf muscle, pain in my shin…. even my toes! (Every single symptom is gone and yet only the articulation was revised; my surgeon found the implant in my femur to be solid and therefore he did not replace that part. I still have some surgical pain which is normal at this stage.)

In recovery, my surgeon was beaming as he explained what he found during my replacement surgery: The Biomet hip was covered with scar tissue (and a lot of fluid) so thick that he described it as a “rind” while cutting his way through. The scar tissue was so extensive that he repeatedly lengthened my incision for additional access. Apparently this scar tissue had entrapped many nerves, thus causing the misery I had endured for so long. Most importantly: this scar tissue and accompanying fluid did not appear on any x-ray, bone scan, MRI, CAT scan, etc. I was evaluated by four different Orthopedic surgeons over the years, yet the results were always the same: My implant was perfectly aligned, there was no apparent loosening, no cysts, no infection, etc. Obviously no surgeon would commit to operating on a patient who had no apparent problems. Finally I found a surgeon who listened carefully and took a more aggressive course of action. Thanks to a simple hip aspiration, within a few weeks I was on my way to an end of eight painful years. I would be happy to share additional details with anyone else that might benefit from my experience.

Regards

Scott

Time: September 26, 2013 at 12:38 am

Better Quality of Life After a Hip Replacement Surgery (biometlawyer.wordpress.com)
Biomet Hip Lawsuits News: Number of Cases Increases in Federal Courts, Reports Rottenstein Law Group LLP (businesslawdaily.net)
Biomet Hip Lawsuits News: Judge Denies Biomet Motion to Dismiss Lawsuit, Reports Rottenstein Law Group LLP (businesslawdaily.net)
Biomet Hip Lawsuits Update: Almost 600 Lawsuits Pending in Federal Court, Reports Rottenstein Law Group LLP (businesslawdaily.net)

Filed under: Biomet, Biomet Hip Lawsuit, Biomet Hip Replacement, Biomet Magnum Hip, Cobalt chrome, Cobalt Poisoning, Hip Replacement, Hip Revisions, Metal on metal hip, Total Hip Replacement Tagged: Doctor's office, Earl, femur, Health, Medicine, pain, Pain management, Physical therapy

Frans story – DePuy ASR and then Blood Cancer

earlstevens58 — Sun, 28 Jul 2013 00:54:22 +0000

I had a Depuy Pinnacle (MOM) total hip replacement in Dec. 2007 due to osteoarthritis at the age of 56. I was told that metal on metal was the preferred implant since I was young, thin and fit. In fact, this remarkable implant might even last my lifetime!

Eighteen months later, I was diagnosed with level one chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

I had every test imaginable regarding the leukemia and there were chromosomal abnormalities or deletions; however, never having a baseline study, it would be a stretch to say that there were changes.

A friend alerted me to the dangers of cobalt and chromium poisoning in 2012 and I requested the blood test, yet my surgeon did not encourage it as I was not symptomatic with hip issues. Both minerals tested were elevated but I was told they were not dangerously high at the time.

One year later, I requested to have the mineral blood test again so the results would be available for my annual appointment. Levels had risen significantly and I was having groin pain, hip pain and stability issues.

The orignial surgeon suggested a total hip resurfacing at some point, but certainly immediate surgery was not emphasized. I went for another opinion and that surgeon made room in his surgery schedule that week so that the Depuy Pinnancle could be removed.

My question is this: Are there others with metal on metal hip implants who then were diagnosed with blood cancer? I find it more than coincidental, yet when I ask medical professionals they state that there are no definitive studies linking the two.

DePuy Defective Hip Implant Claims | eLocal (elocallawyers.com)
Hip Replacement Lawsuits (hipreplacementlawsuits.wordpress.com)
DePuy ASR Hip Implant Lawsuit Filed by Wright & Schulte on Behalf of Texas Man Who Alleges His Serious Hip Injuries Were Caused by Defective Design of ASR Hip Implant (prweb.com)
Hip Replacement Recall (ehipreplacementrecall.wordpress.com)
Experts Advise Patients with MoM Hips to Undergo Blood Tests (hothealthnews.wordpress.com)
Fighting Rare Blood Cancers (23andme.com)
Lawmakers Mull over Actions for Hip Implant Safety (hipimplantlawyer.wordpress.com)
The New Design of DePuy ASR Hip (depuyrecall.typepad.com)
DePuy Hip Replacement Failure Rate (depuyrecall.typepad.com)
US Drug Watchdog Now Urges All DePuy Pinnacle Hip Implant Recipients To Call Them About A Blood Test To See If This Metal Hip Implant Has Failed-Time Is Of The Essence (prweb.com)

Filed under: Cobalt chrome, Cobalt Poisoning, Cobaltism, DePuy ASR Hip, DePuy Hip Litigation, Hip Replacement, Hip Revisions, Johnson & Johnson, Metal on metal hip, Total Hip Replacement Tagged: baseline study, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, DePuy, Food and Drug Administration, groin pain, Health, Hematological malignancy, Hip implants, Hip Replacement, Johnson, Medicine, osteoarthritis, pinnancle, total hip resurfacing

Data show hip replacement revision rate low, though higher with metal-on-metal – Winnipeg Free Press

earlstevens58 — Fri, 19 Jul 2013 22:01:33 +0000

Data show hip replacement revision rate low, though higher with metal-on-metal – Winnipeg Free Press.

Data show hip replacement revision rate low, though higher with metal-on-metal

By: Helen Branswell, The Canadian Press

Posted: 07/18/2013 2:51 PM |

TORONTO – New Canadian data suggest that people who have a type of metal-on-metal hip replacement are more likely to need a revision within five years, but even then, the rate of revisions is low.

The data show that people who had large-diameter modular metal-on-metal implants had a 5.9 per cent chance of needing to have the implant replaced within five years, compared to a rate of 2.7 per cent among people who received the more common metal-on-plastic implant.

The data, released by the Canadian Institutes for Health Information, show that nearly three out of every four hip replacements logged into the Canadian joint replacement registry were metal-on-plastic units.

Metal-on-metal hip replacements made up only nine per cent of the procedures recorded in the registry.

Metal-on-metal units were introduced with great optimism a few years ago; the thinking was the replacement hips would be more durable and better for younger patients than the metal-on-plastic type.

But data from a number of countries have shown that hasn’t been the case for a small subset of people who received the units.

Canadian orthopedic surgeons took a more conservative approach to the metal-on-metal implants and it turned out to be the way to go, says Dr. Michael Dunbar, an orthopedic surgeon from Halifax and co-chair of the joint replacement registry.

“It was the right side of the street to be on, for sure,” Dunbar says.

“It was the fact of the matter that in the United States in the late 2000s almost 45 per cent of every male in the country (who got a hip replacement) got metal-on-metal. So this is why it’s such a big issue in the United States.”

Dunbar says the differences between the U.S. and Canadian situations underscore why it’s important to gather information on joint replacements. Currently the joint replacement registry is a voluntary one, and only captures a portion of the procedures done in the country.

Two provinces — British Columbia and Ontario — are moving to make it mandatory for these procedures to be recorded in the registry. But Dunbar wishes others would follow suit.

“We have a voluntary system and until recently we’ve been down around 50 per cent. We think that all implants should be registered because this is important. We’re spending the nation’s treasure on this stuff. This is a top health-care priority in Canada,” Dunbar says.

“We want to make sure we can deliver the very best product to the patients in our country. And we want to make sure that the money that we’re spending … is best spent for the most appropriate implant for the most appropriate patient.”

The report is based on nearly 60,000 hip replacements done across Canada between 2003 and 2011. Data from Quebec were not included.

Data show hip replacement revision rate low, though higher with metal-on-metal (globalnews.ca)
Metal on Metal Long Term Risks Confirmed (earlsview.com)
Products Included in the Ceramic Hip Replacement Recall (arthritis.answers.com)
Risks, Benefits and Recovery From Birmingham Hip Procedures (arthritis.answers.com)
Metal-on-metal hip implants more likely to need replacement (cbc.ca)
Risks and Rewards of Cemented Hip Replacements (arthritis.answers.com)
Hip Resurfacing an Alternative to Hip Replacement (hothealthnews.wordpress.com)
Understanding Hip Revision Surgery: A Medical Overview (orthopedics.answers.com)

Filed under: Cobalt chrome, Cobalt Poisoning, Cobaltism, Hip Replacement, Hip Revisions, Metal on metal hip, Total Hip Replacement Tagged: arthritis, Business, Cobalt chrome, Cobalt poisoning, DePuy, Health, hip, Hip Replacement, hip resurfacing, joint replacement, Medicine, science, Smith & Nephew, surgery, Technology, UNited States, Winnipeg Free Press

Hanna’s Story – another Smith & Nephew BHR tale of disaster

earlstevens58 — Sat, 04 May 2013 01:12:42 +0000

My name is Hanna Viner, I am 61 years old and I live in Sydney, Australia. I had recently a left hip revision surgery from MoM BHR to ceramic THR. After subscribing to your blog and reading your very interesting articles and stories I have decided to share my experience with you. I have bilateral artificial hips. Left is ceramic THR, MoM BHR on the right side.

In October 2000 I had my first right hip MoM BHR put in due to severe osteoarthritis and 3 months after had developed a limp in the left leg and pain in the left hip. My surgeon, who was trained in BHR 6 months before my first operation, had gone to Birmingham to learn how to use Derek McMinn‘s BHR prosthesis and I was one of the first patient to receive this BHR prosthesis in Australia. Anyhow this operation was successful and help me enormously with the pain, which I had suffered for at least 3 years, I was 48 years old when I had my first operation.

Two years later in September 2002 I went and had left hip BHR inserted and this operation was not as successful as the first one. My surgeon has told me that the damage in the left acetabulum and femur head was not as great as in the right one therefore they have to insert a bigger socket and force it into the acetabulum, I think they maybe did not have the right size of the socket for damage I had there. The future CT Scan had showed an old healed fracture in my pelvis next to the left prosthesis. Anyhow i was happy to have the new hip resurfacing in and did not pay much attention to the details then.

From the beginning the left prosthesis was squeaking and made all sorts of noises while I was moving or bending, but I had a little pain and considered that ok. When I attended numerous check up visits with my surgeon I have told him about the problems but he dismissed them as normal. Over the years the noises and occasional pain were more disturbing and in 2007 my X-ray showed the lucency next to the left BHR, which again my doctor has dismissed and said that there is nothing to worry about.

So life was going on and I started having gait problem and developed excessive pronation in my feet, more severe on the left foot. I also developed bunions on both feet and I had to do something because due mainly to left foot drop I was falling while walking even on leveled ground and my feet were killing me, being very painful while walking or standing for prolonged periods.

After numerous fallings I have researched the cause for it and decided to go and see podiatrist, which of course diagnosed me with severe pronation of my feet, especially the left one. I was given orthotics and felt better immediately. I also stared to notice that the left leg was kind of weaker than the right one, but I did not pay too much attention and was living my life as normal.

Mean while this leg problems had affected my thoracic skoliosis and my shoulders were very uneven, more than ever before, the right one was now much lower than the left one. So I started paying attention to my posture. I work in the office and had to be aware the way I was sitting and using computer. My right knee developed Bakers cyst and was and is quite painful especially when I walk up the hill or up and down the stairs.

I also started being very fatigued and developed some chronic aches and pains all over my body, I had digestive problems, loss of vision especially at night and could not hear so well with my left ear. I also have done a comprehensive stool analysis test learning from it that i had some bacterias, amoebas and parasites, my immune system was already compromised and i did not know why. I was a healthy eater, non smoker and non drinker, I use to do lots of sport activities and i was very miserable, irritable and unhappy, thinking that all of this is due to menopause.

In 2009 I had an Idiopathic hemorrage in the back of my left eye,which disappeared after 4 months. My blood pressure was playing up, hot flushes and night sweets were there even I had finished menopause few years before (by the way that period of my life was a miserable one too) and I felt overall very sick. I started Chinese herbs and acupuncture treatment which somehow helped because it made my body stronger but many of my symptoms had never disappear.

Than in June 2012 I went to see my orthopedic surgeon for a check up, which was 5.5 years overdue, i should attend this check up 4 years after my las check up, it was 1.5 years overdue due to some family commitments in Poland, had to look after my elderly mother for 15 months there.

In winter 2011 in Poland I already realize that my left leg is getting weaker and weaker as I was not able to do long walks on the snow the way I was able to do it in winter 2010, but did not worry too much about it blaming the old age, I also developed thyroid problems, my TSH was climbing up and overall I looked terrible, I was swollen especially my face at the chin and neck and my hands and feet and started putting lots of weight.

When I came back to Australia I went and had all necessary blood tests including thyroid tests and tests showed a Hashimoto disease, all thyroid tests were at the normal range, but my thyroid antibodies were elevated to 208IU/mL and my cholesterol was slightly elevated and some of the liver functions as ALT GGT and ALP were elevated. This started to worry me a bit. I did hip X-rays and went for a check up. I have already read the description written by radiologist, which showed that I have some overgrowth on the femur near the left prosthesis. I had showed that o my surgeon and he decided that we need to investigate this further, he had send me for a CT scan and a nuclear bone scan and I had also requested the metal ions blood test.

We did all of that and, o boy, I had a big pseudo tumor next to my left hip, bone and surrounding tissues eaten away by metal debris and metal ions in thousands in my blood, I had no option but to have surgery ASAP so we have scheduled this surgery for hip revision for 25 October 2012. I was speechless and angry and I had no option but to go for this operation.

The operation was successfull but it was done at the lasy moment as the damage to my bone and surrounded tissue was so extensive that if I would left it unattended for a bit longer I wouldn’t have any hip left there.

My surgeon had to remove about a litter of fluid with metal debris and repair all surrounded tissue damage. I was given THR made out of ceramic with ceramic liner to last longer and with titanium stem, also he did a bone graft from my own bone scraps from the femur onto acetabulum and fix the socket there with 2 titanium screws. I was doing pretty ok after the op and after 5 days in hospital I went to rehab hospital for 2 weeks for further rehabilitation ( isometric exercises in the morning and hydrotherapy in the afternoon), this was a great help. When I got back home I have continued hydrotherapy every day of the week and it felt great. It has been over 5 months now after the operation, I do continue hydrotherapy attending sessions at least twice a week.

I went back to work 2.5 months after the operation and I am taking systemic enzymes which are helping enormously with my scar tissue and swelling, they are great, I also detox with chlorella and am taking lots of supplements to keep me going, but I am still tired and the left leg is not fully healed yet, still getting a bit painful if I will overuse it. But the range of movement is great.

I have been back to see my surgeon with new xrays on 8/3/2013, the bone has healed terrifically well and my metal ions are substantially down: chromium from 1200 nmol/l to 574 nmol/l and cobalt from 1860 to 68, still high but much, much better. During this check up I have requested a removal of my right BHR prosthesis and my surgeon was surprised by my decision asking me – why do you want to remove a perfectly good device, I had answered that this is a ticking bomb an it could be blowing up at any rime, he answered yes potentially it can. We had scheduled another revision surgery for 26/6/13. Since then I had enough time to think about it and considering the fact that my left leg is still quite weak I have realized that I may not be well enough to perform the second revision so soon, besides my lower back is playing up since the last operation which is quite normal. I have requested an MRI scan for hips and lower back and measurement of metal ions in blood every three months and if all will be good and metal ions will gradually come down (I know it is a long process, sometimes up to 2 years) than I won’t rush to have another revision surgery. So this is my story.

Dear Earl, what do you think about my decision, do you think I have to do some other checking ups in regards to my problem. I will be glad to sue Smith and Nephew for producing such a horrible device, I have made enquiries in Australia and in one law firm in America but they refused to help me because there is not class action against S&N. So I will wait until many people will come forward and do the same as I want to do. If you know about any possible law suit against Smith and Nephew please let me know.

Looking forward to hear from you soon

Kind regards

Hanna Viner

Hip Resurfacing Procedures: A Viable Alternative to Hip Replacements (orthopedics.answers.com)
Study: Metal Hip Pain and Tissue Damage – Stryker Rejuvenate Hip Implant (earlsview.com)
Walking Better: Rehab After Hip Joint Prosthesis Surgery (orthopedics.answers.com)
Hip Hip Hooray! – Austin, TX (travelpod.com)
Surgeon Says Recalled Stryker Metal Hip Implant May Fail Half the Time (earlsview.com)
Mike’s Stryker problems ruin his life (earlsview.com)
Introducing Hip Resurfacing: A Minimally-Invasive Alternative to Hip Replacements (prweb.com)
Am I Too Old? Too Young for a Hip Replacement? (stpaulhip.wordpress.com)

Filed under: Cobalt chrome, Cobalt Poisoning, Cobaltism, Hip Replacement, Hip Revisions, Metal on metal hip, Total Hip Replacement Tagged: Acetabulum, artificial hips, Australia, BHR, Derek McMinn, Health, hip, Hip Replacement, hip resurfacing, hip revision, Medicine, metal, surgery, Sydney

Stuart Cain – Just Another One of ‘Those Days’!

earlstevens58 — Wed, 01 May 2013 23:44:53 +0000

Just Another One of ‘Those Days’!

My apologies for not getting back to anyone I owe a reply to, please feel free to remind me, the last couple of weeks have consisted of doctors, radiology, blood tests, pain and no sleep, so I have been very slack. I have been watching with keen interest what has been going on and sincerely hope that Paige is getting the assistance and recognition that she deserves! As we all do from time to time, I have taken a step back so that I could try to get my body together, unfortunately I haven’t won that one yet!!

I am sure that many of you will relate to the following scenario, but I just wanted to write about it as I am still adding it to my list of ‘firsts’ since my “ASR experience” began. In the last 3 months I have experienced more pain and decline in my health then I have for the last 6 years, and all this after I had supposedly undergone the ‘this will finally sort you out surgeries’. I am in no way being critical of my surgeon here, he has worked tirelessly in finding answers to the many complications I have faced and I retain complete faith in him. I have a fracture in my right femur (ASR Hip side) that has now been present for 18 months, despite the plate and 9 screws holding my femur together, it has decided to appear on x-ray at least to be breaking down completely, I can certainly back that up in pain and inability to weight bear! When presented with this evidence and the appearance on Bone Scans of fractures bilaterally (left and right) in both my feet, my left shoulder and also potentially in my lumbar spine, my surgeon thought it was time to seek opinion from further experts as to why my femur is degenerating and why these new fractures might be coming from. Against the background of Cobalt/Chromium toxicity and multiple hip revisions (3), my surgeon decided we needed to look at things from a ‘biological level’ and referred me to a colleague who is an Endocrinologist and experienced researcher.

This was the start of one of ‘those days’! My wife and I, after waiting the usual couple of months to get in to see this doctor (and I appreciate that we got in quickly for those of you who have had to wait much longer for medical review), entered the waiting room with a great deal of trepidation. We were called, introduced to the doctor and escorted to the consulting room. After being seated the following statement was made: “I can see you are in pain, but I see a very depressed man sitting in front of me, are you talking to someone about this”. Then turning to my wife: “I can see you are depressed too, you should be talking to someone about this”. So it began. This was our first interaction with this doctor ever, to say we were taken aback was an understatement. We had gone there seeking answers to why my health/body was deteriorating so quickly and as my wife says “I am watching my husband deteriorate in front of my eyes”, this was not what we had expected to be hearing.

We were then given a lecture about ‘our need’ to be getting psychological/psychiatric help, and that Anti-depressants mightn’t be a bad idea. It was then pointed out to me that I was ‘obese’ and that I needed to address this. I had let her go on the first part about our Mental Health thinking that she was trying to help, however I now was starting to see red as we hadn’t so much as mentioned why we there in the first place which was to try to find some answers as to why my bones are breaking and the one that is really broken isn’t healing. The ‘fresh set of eyes’ that was to review my case was now just irritating me! I was then advised that I should stop being lazy and just go to Weight Watchers so that I could do something about my Obesity! If I wasn’t depressed when I walked in the door I was now!! I was also starting to get that burning feeling of anger and resentment that I know so many of you have experienced through your dealings with medical professionals over your journeys.

We finally actually started talking about ‘how it was that I came to be in this situation’, at this point I was almost relieved to be talking about bloody hip replacements!! However I naively expected that she may have read some of the 20 odd pages of notes that my surgeon sent with my referral and referred to my Johnson and Johnson/DePuy implant merely as an “ASR”. She stopped me immediately and said, “what is an ASR?” We should have stood up and left, but stupidly we stayed on, and with much reminding me that she wasn’t an ‘Orthopod’ and not really interested in the surgical side of things, we eventually got up to what medications I was taking. Earlier in the discussion her thoughts had varied between me being on ‘too much’ pain relief, to ‘that is probably nowhere near enough’, so now we were discussing the merits of me visiting a ‘pain clinic’, but even she then admitted that they probably wouldn’t be able to help as they wouldn’t understand or know how to treat this kind of ‘experience’ or pain process. I was also asked to explain ‘why I was taking these medications’, when I replied that they had been prescribed and that I was merely following Doctor’s instructions, I was told that I should have taken control of this and ‘known better’. Now I am a mere Nurse, I know we are all probably far more knowledgeable about our conditions than most of the doctors we speak to, but even I have to stop short of prescribing and planning my own medication routine! I feel sorry for those of you out there with no formal medical education, I wonder what she would have said to you?

Continuing in the medication, I mentioned that I take a number of natural medicines (Fish/Krill Oil, Rose Hip Extract, Glucosamine, Chondroitin, Boron etc), I was asked how much I spend on these a month? I replied about $300. I was then told I would be far better off spending that on Weight Watchers for all the good it was doing me! After completing the medication review, we finally pulled out some of the scans and x-rays I had brought along for a casual glance. When she noticed the difference of over 10 cms (approx. 3 inches) in my femur fracture in roughly a month, she thought that I had got the dates wrong as this wasn’t possible. Adding the x-rays of my fractures in both feet, I was then asked if I had been in a car accident? I pointed out that no, I hadn’t, and then she said that I must have had a fall. When this was not also true, the gravity of what she was looking at must have finally sunk in as she offered my wife a tissue (Karrin wanted to belt her over the head with the box I found out later)!

The next part of the appointment was almost ‘humane’ as she empathised with us that this was indeed a truly ‘unique set of circumstances’ in her experience. I was told that I should be in a wheelchair as ‘what am I trying to prove by walking around in pain’, I did point out that I had actually been asked to try to walk by my surgeon. This was followed up by more contradictory comments about my ‘pain threshold’ and we were nearing the end of our time together!

The things I was to take away from the appointment was that even though I had gone there looking for answers, I should realise I probably won’t get any, I should start at Weight Watchers as soon as possible ‘as it is plain that you are obese’, I needed to see a Psychologist at least ‘to help me cope’, I should stop trying to be a hero by trying to walk, my wife was also to seek Mental Health guidance as I was obviously putting her ‘through a lot’ and I should learn to ‘get over my anger with Johnson and Johnson’ as that isn’t going to help me get any better (needless to say at this point in time I firmly believed that no-one else apart from my family and I were going to help me ‘get better’)!! We are to return in 6 weeks’ time when she will have done ‘some looking into all this’, spoken to the many doctors who have treated me over the journey (all of which she seemed to know very well according to her), reviewed all of my blood tests, x-rays, scans etc. and she will have a report for us.

Needless to say I am not holding my breath, I am more determined than ever that we all have to look after ourselves as even ‘the experts’ seem to treat us all as either a: ‘broken puzzle’, ‘a novelty’ or just a ‘pain in their arse’!! I wanted to talk about this appointment as I have spoken to so many people who have had shocking experiences with Doctors and other health professionals that I just wanted to re-assure you that you weren’t on your own. I also think that this is also a very good therapy for my ‘depression’, as it allows me to vent, express and share, things which unfortunately most poor souls who suffer from depression rarely get to do and please don’t think I am in any way diminishing the terrible impact that depression has on many of our lives as we go through this horrible experience called Metal-on-Metal. Indeed I encourage any of you who are currently, have previously or are not quite sure if depression is in your life, to please reach out and talk to someone about it as I believe we are all going through enough torture without adding that type of torture to the mix. As this doctor finally said to us, “if I was in your shoes, I would probably be depressed”, not much relief at the time, but after what she had just put us through it was almost a sense of vindication.

I wish all of you the best of health at this time, I am getting away with my wife for a short break where we can’t be disturbed and just have a nice waterway to watch and can do a bit of fishing. I hope that no matter whether you are battling Johnson and Johnson/DePuy, Smith and Nephew, another manufacturer or just the failings of your own health, that you are supported and loved by those around you, because I know that without this blessing I wouldn’t be here. I keep hoping that it can’t get any worse, but sadly I don’t think I have hit bottom yet, I just need to be able to hope. To Earl, Brooks, Howard, Meg, the 2 Connies, Belinda, Mary, Paige, Morgan and all of the other wonderful people I have had the pleasure of meeting here, I hope your days are reasonably comfortable, you are ‘getting better’ and for all of us that there is some justice just around the corner!

Take Care

Stu Cain

$8.5 Million Verdict against Johnson & Johnson for DePuy Hip Replacement (nylawblog.com)
VICTORY FOR MoM Sufferer – Johnson & – Johnson Ordered to Pay $8.3 Million in Hip Implant Case – NYTimes.com (earlsview.com)
Five Common Causes of Hip Pain in Women (everydayhealth.com)
Hip Pain: What Do Your Symptoms Mean? (everydayhealth.com)
Stuart Cain Reports – A Warning for all MOM Patients – It is NEVER over, and your health is never, ever going to be the same! (earlsview.com)
Weight Watchers (everydayhealth.com)
Jury rules in Merck’s favor in Fosamax trial (nypersonalinjurylawrecord.com)
Mesh scandal: Lawyer on why £7m compensation case will not be the last (dailyrecord.co.uk)
Fosamax Users Experience Femur Fractures (hothealthnews.wordpress.com)

How coral can help you grow a new knee | Mail Online

earlstevens58 — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 23:21:38 +0000

How coral can help you grow a new knee | Mail Online.

How coral can help you grow a new knee

By PAT HAGAN

PUBLISHED: 21:04 GMT, 1 April 2013 | UPDATED: 23:53 GMT, 1 April 2013

A tiny implant made from coral could help repair knee joints crippled by osteo-arthritis. The implant helps to stimulate the growth of new cartilage from stem cells — the body’s own immature cells that can turn into any type of tissue.

Scientists chose coral because its structure resembles human bone so closely, providing the perfect scaffold for new cartilage and blood vessels to form inside the knee.

An estimated eight million people in Britain have some degree of osteoarthritis, which causes the destruction of cartilage — this is the body’s built-in shock absorber, soaking up the impact from walking, running or lifting, so bones do not rub together and disintegrate.

The new implant was developed by coating coral with human growth factors, which stimulate the creation of new cells in the body

However, with age major joints such as the hips, knees and wrists suffer wear and tear. Other risk factors include being overweight, having a family history of the condition and suffering sports-related injuries.

The cartilage starts to break down, making joints swollen and extremely painful. There are no drugs to cure it and many sufferers rely on anti-inflammatory pain-killers to ease their suffering.

But around 60,000 people a year in the UK end up needing a knee replacement because their joints are too badly eroded.

In recent years, researchers have focused on finding ways to regenerate cartilage inside the knee.

Coral has been used for bone grafts for a number of years — without some form of scaffolding, the implanted cells struggle to take hold. The coral naturally degrades as the new bone replaces it.

Scientists at a number of centres around the world noted the success of coral bone grafts, and are now investigating its use in cartilage replacement.

A team of scientists in Slovenia developed the new implant — called Agili-C — by coating coral with human growth factors, which stimulate the creation of new cells in the body. Experiments have shown that it stimulated the formation of cartilage and blood vessels by attracting a certain type of stem cell — known as mesenchymal stem cells — out from nearby bone marrow on to the scaffold.

Major joints such as the knees, wrists and hips suffer wear and tear with age

Results from early-stage animal studies show that after six to 12 months, the stem cells had formed a healthy new layer of cartilage and the coral implant had completely dissolved.

The first patient in Europe to receive the implant was a 47-year-old former athlete who suffered knee swelling and pain. The implant reduced pain, and increased mobility. Six months after treatment he was able to ski and a year later completed a 120-mile cycle race. A trial in Slovenia involving around 20 patients, aged from 18 to 55, with damaged knees is under way and the final results are likely to be announced next year.

The implant has been cleared for sale in the UK and Europe and could be launched on to the market later this year.

Commenting on the implant, a spokeswoman for Arthritis Research UK said: ‘This is interesting research and the use of stem cells to regenerate cartilage in people with a joint injury and even osteoarthritis has huge potential.

‘For instance, we are currently investigating how stem-cell therapy could be improved by differentiating between ‘good’ stem cells, which grow rapidly and make cartilage tissue, and ‘bad’ stem cells, which fail to grow. However, it’s very early days, and it has to be stressed that this kind of treatment is not yet available in the UK.’

***************************************************************************************

Meanwhile, scientists have discovered why arthritic knees hurt so much, and now hope to develop more effective painkillers for the condition.

Although the source of discomfort in severe arthritis is clear, as the bones can start to rub together, experts are still mystified why mild to moderate osteoarthritis causes pain. However, U.S. researchers, writing in the journal the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, now believe they have found the molecule that triggers discomfort.

In lab-based experiments, they found that damaged cartilage releases a compound called monocyte chemoattractant protein, which triggers nerves to send pain signals to the brain.

They say that further drugs that either prevent the release of, or soak up, this compound may help to eliminate pain.

******************************************************************************************

Acupuncture might offer a shorter-term answer for painful knees. An NHS study of 90 patients, published in the journal Acupuncture in Medicine, revealed that a two-year course of the treatment (given once every six weeks) reduced discomfort and increased mobility.

How coral can help you grow a new knee (dailymail.co.uk)
How coral can help you grow a new knee (thisismoney.co.uk)
Controlling the Risk Factors for Osteoarthritis (everydayhealth.com)
The Stages of Osteoarthritis Progression (everydayhealth.com)
Protista #1 (biodiversitypulausemakau.wordpress.com)
Obesity and Knee Pain (everydayhealth.com)
Osteoarthritis and ACL Injury (an3blog.wordpress.com)
Zooxanthellae (biodiversitypulausemakau.wordpress.com)

Filed under: Knee Implants, knee injury, Knee Pain, Knee Replacement, Knee Replacement Recall, Knee revision, Knee surgery, Stem Cell Therapy, Stem Cells Tagged: arthritis, bone grafts, Cartilage, cartilage replacement, Conditions and Diseases, Coral, Health, Knee, knee mail, osteoarthritis, shock absorber, Stem cell

Stryker ABG II Hip Lawsuit – Device Recall and Rejuvenate Claims

earlstevens58 — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 22:43:27 +0000

Stryker ABG II Hip Lawsuit – Device Recall and Rejuvenate Claims.

First Federal Stryker ABG II Hip Lawsuit Filed in MA Court

Ava Lawson | April 4th, 2013 | Posted in Stryker Hip Lawsuits

On March 26, 2013, a Massachusetts woman filed the first federal Stryker ABG II hip lawsuit to date. The action was brought against Stryker Orthopaedics by plaintiff Lisa Lincoln in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. At this time Stryker multidistrict litigation (MDL No. 2441) has only included Stryker Rejuvenate hip lawsuits, and prior to Lincoln’s claim, there were no known ABG II cases pending in district courts. The defendant had just submitted a report to the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) asking that lawsuits involving ABG II implants not be included in the MDL.

Stryker ABG II recall prompts more litigation

On July 6, 2012, Stryker issued a voluntary hip recall for its Rejuvenate Modular and ABG II hip implant components. The manufacturer stated, “This voluntary recall was initiated due to the potential risks associated with modular-neck stems. These risks include the potential for fretting and/or corrosion at or about the modular-neck junction, which may result in adverse local tissue reactions manifesting with pain and/or swelling.” Serious complications such as these were alleged by plaintiff Lisa Lincoln, who states that her ABG II system caused metallosis and other issues requiring revision surgery. The Massachusetts claimant was implanted with an ABG II femoral stem component in her right hip in June 2010. By March 2012, she contends that she was suffering chronic pain, and after physician examination was found to have a pseudo-tumor directly behind the acetubular cup.

According to her Stryker ABG II hip lawsuit, a second medical opinion concluded that Lincoln had high levels of cobalt in her blood, suggesting metallosis from the metal neck and stem rubbing against each other. Her doctors also discovered significant fluid accumulation around the artificial hip, which showed signs of loosening and early failure. Lincoln states that her surgeon informed her about the Stryker ABG II recall over the phone in January 2013, which prompted her subsequent blood panel tests for cobalt toxicity. Her revision surgery to remove the hip components was scheduled to take place on March 26, 2013.

Design defect and negligence among several allegations

Released through the FDA’s Special 510(k) process in 2008, the Rejuvenate and ABG II modular-neck hip stems were not subject to stringent pre-market testing. Instead, the implants were proven “substantially similar” to other devices already on the market and were used in patients without ample research to test their safety and efficacy. The ABG II has a cobalt neck that fits into a titanium stem, and can be used with a variety of surface components. Like others who’ve filed Stryker Rejuvenate hip lawsuits, the plaintiff is suing on multiple counts including negligence and breach of implied and express warranties. Mrs. Lincoln’s husband also charges loss of consortium.

Complications linked to Rejuvenate and ABG II hip implants

Men and women who received Stryker hip systems including the recalled ABG II and Rejuvenate devices have reported a host of complications, including but not limited to:

Loosening of the implant
Swelling / inflammation
Chronic pain
Metallosis – heavy metal blood poisoning
Damage to the tissue surrounding the implant
Bone damage

Plaintiffs are also suing Stryker for fraudulent claims that the metal neck and stem components in the ABG II and Rejuvenate were not prone to fretting and corrosion.

Stryker Rejuvenate Hip Recall Lawsuit News: Updated Information for Stryker Hip Implant Recall Lawsuits In State & Federal Courts, Provided By Alonso Krangle LLP (prweb.com)
Iowa Resident Brings Suit Against Stryker For Damages Caused By Recalled Hip Implant – News Press Release | PharmiWeb.com (earlsview.com)
Stryker Revises Estimates Upwards As To Expenses Related To Defective Rejuvenate & ABG II Hips (prweb.com)
Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II Hip Stem Problems Addressed in Multi County Litigation (MCL), Patients Urged to Contact Attorney Fred Pritzker (prweb.com)
Stryker Encourages Monitoring of Australian Rejuvenate and ABG II Hip Recipients – February 25, 2013 (earlsview.com)
Kelley Bernheim Dolinsky, LLC Files First Lawsuit in Massachusetts Arising out of Stryker … (biomedreports.com)
Conflict of Interest of “industry experts” – Open letter from Dr Steve to Dr Frick… (earlsview.com)
Stryker Hip Implant Recall Claims (christopherfearley.typepad.com)
Stryker Advises Comprehensive Monitoring of Patients with Recalled Hip Implants (nypersonalinjurylawrecord.com)
Smith & Nephew Failure Warning for Birmingham Hip Implant (earlsview.com)

Filed under: Cobalt chrome, Cobalt Poisoning, Cobaltism, Hip Replacement, Hip Revisions, Metal on metal hip, Stryker, Stryker ABGII Modular Femoral Stem, Stryker Hip Implant Recall, Stryker profits, Stryker rejuvenate hip, Stryker ShapeMatch, Stryker Trident Hip Recall, Stryker Trident Hip Replacement System, Total Hip Replacement Tagged: Food & Drug Administration, Health, Hip Replacement, Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, lawsuit, Massachusetts, Rejuvenate, Stryker, Stryker Corporation

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