An integral part of almost all artificial hip joints is a plastic part of the prosthesis referred to as a liner. As the liner is responsible for absorbing the impacts experienced by the implant, it is imperative that the liner be as durable as possible. Extensive wear of the liner can result in failure of the entire implant, bone loss, and the release of foreign bodies into the patient. At the very least, extensive wear of the liner will result in the need for a revision surgery to remove the worn liner and to replace it with a new liner.

The liners used in hip implants are generally manufactured from a type of polyethylene known as ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene or UHMWPE. UHMWPE is used for hip prosthesis liners because of its extreme durability.

However, some manufacturers continued to use gamma radiation to sterilize their liners and store them for extended periods even after becoming aware that it rendered their product defective. At least two manufacturers switched to a safer form of sterilization, but instead of discarding their aged liners previously sterilized with gamma radiation, they disposed of them by selling the defective liners for surgical implantation in patients. The sale of gamma irradiated polyethylene hip liners appears to have continued until fairly recently.

The following companies manufactured hip implants that may have included defective liners:

• Biomet Orthopedics, Inc.
• Biopro
• Corin
• Depuy
• Encore Orthopedics
• Endotec
• Hayes Medical
• Howmedica International, Inc.
• Implex
• Johnson & Johnson
• Kinamed
• Link Orthopedics
• Orthomet, Inc.
• OsteoImplant Technology
• Smith & Nephew
• Stelkast
• Stryker Howmedica
• Sulzer
• Whiteside Biomechnicals
• Wright Medical Technology
• Zimmer

Hopefully the number of the above manufacturers that knowingly sold defective hip implants will be few. However, even one patient receiving a hip liner that the manufacturer knew to be defective is one patient too many.

Our attorneys have represented patients across the country with defective hip liners. We typically work on cases together with a law firm in your area. Having two law firms working on your behalf is at no additional cost to you. As you might expect, these are expensive cases to litigate and as a result our clients typically prefer that we do their case on a contingency basis. That means that we only get paid if and when your case is settled or you prevail at trial. In the event that there is no recovery, we receive no fee.

If you believe that your hip prosthesis liner failed because it was defective, our attorneys will be glad to review your case to determine whether we feel there are sufficient grounds for us to represent you in pursuing a case against the manufacturer. Click here for our online potential case evaluation form.

Typically in order to review a case, we need the orthopedic surgeon's office chart, the operative reports for the original joint replacement surgery and the revision surgery, and the device record for the original surgery from the hospital chart (this shows the product and lot numbers of the components of the device). We also need the device. Therefore, it is essential that you get possession of the device as soon as it is removed. It may still be possible to do the case with no device, but it will be much more difficult.