Defective Zimmer Hip Device Sales Suspended
July 24th, 2008 amy
Zimmer Holdings says it will suspend sales of an artificial hip device, a hip socket known as the Durom cup, because doctors have complained the defective hip device has been failing at a high rate. When the device fails, patients then have to undergo replacement surgery.
The New York Times reports that Zimmer says its investigation determined that the product was not defective. But it stated that even some experienced surgeons had found it difficult to implant. The company says it expects to resume sales once specialized training for doctors begins.
Since it was first sold in the United States in 2006, the Durom cup has been implanted in more than 12,000 patients. Zimmer said it expected the overall need for early replacement in patients would be low. But Zimmer data and interviews with doctors suggest that hundreds of patients might need such procedures in coming years.
