A successor to the DePuy ASR model, the DePuy Pinnacle metal-on-metal hip system has nearly 1,600 lawsuits pending in U.S. courts. Doctors tracking large groups of patients with both products estimate that more than 10 percent of the DePuy Pinnacle all-metal hips will have failed in the next two to three years.

Many patients with the DePuy Pinnacle metal-on-metal device are experiencing similar problems as those who received the DePuy ASR model, including pain and swelling, limited mobility, and dislocation. Perhaps most concerning, some doctors say, are the high levels of cobalt and chromium in the bloodstream resulting from wear of the all-metal implants. Metallosis, as it is known, can lead to cardiovascular, neurological, renal and thyroid problems, in addition to destroying soft tissue, muscle and bone.

According to a recent Chicago Tribune article, Dr. Mary O’Connor, an orthopedic surgeon at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, said of the entire class of metal-on-metal devices, “[w]e’re simply seeing the tip of the iceberg with metal-on-metal failures.” O’Connor, who refuses to use metal-on-metal hip implants, further noted that she has been concerned about metal poisoning for years.

If you have had a hip replacement, which used the DePuy ASR or DePuy Pinnacle devices, you can contact Stark & Stark and speak to one of the Mass Tort Attorneys, free of charge, who can help assess any claims that you might have against the DePuy manufactures.