If you’re of a certain age, it’s likely that you or someone you know has needed to have a joint replaced. As American’s life longer, it becomes a much more common procedure that allows us to lead the active, healthy lives that we want to, even as our natural joints wear out, which can cause pain and disability. One of the most common joints that must be replaced is the hip joint.

This means that in many instances, they are beginning to wear before we do! When this occurs, many patients turn to joint replacements, such as hip replacement. This allows for the enjoyment of the active lifestyle we’re used to, with natural movement. If you have had a hip replacement, or know someone who has, keep reading to find out about a Zimmer hip implant recall.

As we age, activities that we once took for granted become what can be a painful chore. Some pain and soreness is natural. As our body ages, it does not function in its peak condition. But for many, the pain associated with standing, walking, or sitting becomes unbearable because of irreversible damage to their hip joint. What were once active people become couch potatoes, unable to do even the simplest activities. And it is for these people that Zimmer hip implants targeted, to give them back some of their motion and independence, to allow them to live full and active lives.

A hip replacement can give a patient a new lease on life, and allow them to get back to their normal interests and activities. However, because it is a mechanical replacement, it does need to be replaced itself, normally within ten years. For older patients, this may not be a concern, but for a younger patient in their 50′s or 60′s, this means that one or more further difficult surgeries may be needed. The Zimmer hip implant was marketed with the promise that it was different. It was targeted to younger patients under the slogan that it would not need to be replaced itself, avoiding the need for further surgery.

However, this claim has not held up to scrutiny. In one text clinic, twelve percent of patients with the Zimmer hip implant needed to have it replaced within two years. This is an astoundingly high failure rate. It also means that the implant that was designed to last a lifetime was in fact, barely lasting at all. And patients who did not believe they would need further surgery were faced with the prospect of another surgery soon after the first.

The Zimmer Durom company has denied that their Zimmer hip implant is this prone to failure, but in internal testing, their devices failed within seven percent of patients within the first two years. This is still an incredibly high rate. High enough, in fact, that the company pulled the replacement from the market in July of 2008. If you or someone you love has had a hip replacement, ask your doctor if it is the Zimmer hip implant. If it was, you may have the right to sue!