The Wright Conserve hip system, including the Wright Conserve Plus Cup, has been linked to reports of early failure, often resulting in the need for painful revision surgery to remove the implant.
Free Confidential Lawsuit Evaluation: If you or a loved one had problems from hip replacement surgery, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a suit and our lawyers can help.
Overview
The Wright Conserve is a brand of hip replacements that was first approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in 2003. The devices entered the market via FDA’s 510(k) loophole, which allows new devices on the market without requiring rigorous safety tests. Wright claimed the Conserve was “substantially equivalent” to other metal-on-metal hip implants.
What’s the Problem?
Wright Conserve hip replacement devices use all metal components which may rub together and shed tiny particles of cobalt and chromium into tissues surrounding the implant. When this occurs, it may lead to complications requiring the need for revision surgery.
Metal-on-Metal Hip Studies
In September 2011, the National Joint Registry for England and Wales released its Eighth Annual Report (PDF), which compared Wright Conserve implants to other hip resurfacing devices. It found that revision rates for Conserve implants were significantly higher than other prosthetic hip replacements, second only to DePuy hip implants in the number of revisions.
In March 2012, The Lancet published a study which linked all-metal hips to a 6.2% five-year failure rate. By comparison, just 2.3% of ceramic-on-ceramic implants failed within five years, and only 1.7% of metal-on-plastic implants failed. This study led researchers to recommend banning metal-on-metal hip replacements.
Hip Replacement Complications
Wright Conserve hip implants have been linked to the following complications:
- Hip pain
- Inflammation, swelling
- Problems standing or walking
- Dislocation of the hip joint
- Implant loosening
- Metal poisoning (metallosis)
- Systemic reactions (organ damage)
- Bone loss in the hip
- Soft tissue growths (pseudotumors)
- Tissue necrosis (tissue death)
- Early failure
- Revision surgery
- And more
Which Hip Implants are Affected?
Wright Conserve hip replacement devices which may cause the above complications include:
- Conserve Total Hip Implant System
- Conserve Plus Total Resurfacing Hip System
- Conserve Femoral Hip Surface Replacement
- Conserve Total A-Class Advanced Metal Hip Implant System
- Conserve Resurfacing System
Wright Conserve MDL
A panel of judges ruled in February 2012 that all federal lawsuits alleging injuries from Wright Conserve hip implants would be consolidated into a multidistrict litigation (MDL no. 2329) in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. All of the complaints allege that Wright Medical manufactured a defective metal-on-metal hip implant, and failed to warn patients about the potential risk that the device may fail within a few years of surgery.
Need More Info?
Please visit our Wright Conserve FAQ page if you’d like more information about these topics.
Do I Have a Wright Conserve Hip Lawsuit?
The Medical Device Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in Wright Conserve lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new hip replacement injury cases in all 50 states.
Free Case Evaluation: Again, if you suffered complications following hip replacement surgery, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to a settlement by filing a suit and we can help.