On May 19, Judith Harms from Minnesota filed a product liability lawsuit against the manufacturer of Zimmer Kinectiv Hip Replacement System in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. Plaintiff Harms filed the suit over the development of metallosis, a form of metal blood poisoning due to the defectively designed Hip Replacement System implanted in September 2008 for which she had to undergo a revision surgery in October 2015. In her complaint Harms stated that the head-neck taper junction of the Zimmer Kinectiv corroded and crumbled, leaving metallic debris in the body.
The revision surgery revealed the presence of pericapsular necrotic tissue, thickened capsule, and a brown metallic stained fluid in the area of the hip device. Zimmer's metal head had dislocated from the Zimmer's neck, leaving a black smudge.
Hip Replacement System recalls have spiked in recent years due to the complications arising from its metal-on-metal design. Zimmer is also facing allegations that their Knee Implant System has caused complications for which cases are consolidated as a part of MDL No. 2272 (in Re: Zimmer NexGen Knee Implant Products Liability Litigation) in the U.S. District for New Jersey under Judge Susan D. Wigenton.
In June 2013, MDL No. 2441: Stryker Product Liability Litigation was established in the District of Minnesota, presided by Judge Donovan W. Frank, for Stryker Hip Replacement lawsuits.
