While we’re still not 100% certain the exact cause for the failure of the Zimmer Durom Cup hip implants, one this is for certain, many patients who’ve had the artificial Zimmer hip implanted, have experienced extreme pain and suffering as a result of the hip replacement surgery. It appears that the components of the Zimmer Durom hip don’t experience bone growth so that the implanted medical device loosens and separates at some point after hip surgery.
It’s interesting and ironic to note that the first medical professional to complain about the potential problems with the Zimmer Durom hip was Dr. Lawrence Dorr, a former paid consultant for Zimmer. Upon Dorr’s complaints about the artificial hip, Zimmer officials countered that Dorr was not using the correct procedure in performing the artificial hip implant surgery. Zimmer made this claim in spite of Dr. Dorr’s 30 years of experience in hip implant surgery and his reputation as one of the foremost artificial hip experts in the country. Instead of taking Dorr’s concerns seriously, Zimmer officials waited until 1,300 more patients had Zimmer hip implants before recalling the defective hip implant.
The defective medical device has been recalled in the US but not before approximately 13,000 patients in the US have had Zimmer Durom Cup hips implanted. At this stage, it’s estimated that the failure rate is 5% however it may grow to around a 20% failure rate.