Old Sports Injuries Degenerate Later in Life

DePuy Knee Lawsuit News

Old sports injuries can degenerate into osteoarthritis later in life and require total knee replacement surgery

Thursday, July 12, 2018 - Most of us are brought up with the mantra to exercise whenever possible and that the more exercise that we get the better our health will be. That may be true to a degree but more often than not, excessive or extreme physical exertion can lead to serious joint injuries that can be degenerative for one's entire life. The knee is a complex joint, to begin with. The femur (thigh) and tibia (shin) bones intersect at the knee joint (patella). At the point of contact, the femur and tibia are protected by cartilage that acts as a cushion when we walk, run or jump. This joint cartilage is again protected by another set of cartilage called the meniscus. It is not unusual for a knee injury that happened when one was in their twenties to degenerate into debilitating osteoarthritis when one reaches retirement age.

Of all of the potential joints that can malfunction the hip and the knee is the most likely with the knee being far more fragile. Studies have shown that the knee can be forced to carry up to 4 times a person's weight when running, jumping, or performing sports and serious injuries are indeed likely. It would be hard to find a dedicated athlete that has not experienced some sort of knee injury at one point in time or another. Even those whose hobbies include low-impact tennis, jogging or softball run the risk of having a torn knee tendon, ligament or cartridge that will require surgery to remove or repair.

In recent years there the number of knee conditions requiring total knee replacement has skyrocketed. The number one reason for the increase is an aging baby boomer population that grew up during the recent health and sports-oriented culture. Hundreds of thousands of Americans are experiencing post-traumatic osteoarthritis and are opting to have one or both knees removed and replaced using DePuy's knee replacement device in order to alleviate the constant pain. Such pain is a result of the decades-long deterioration of their knee joint's protective cartilage having suffered an injury earlier in life, causing osteoarthritis or "bone to bone" contact.

The problem with opting for total knee replacement is that many DePuy Knee replacement patients report being in more pain post-surgery than they were before when they had arthritis. The DePuy knee replacement device has been shown to fail due to de-bonding, a condition that occurs when the cement that is used to secure the artificial knee to the shin bone fails. When de-bonding occurs the lower leg is free to rotate left to right, causing excruciating pain and putting the patient at risk for a catastrophic falling incident. DePuy knee replacement de-bonding patients are then forced to undergo a second surgery to insert shims and re-glue the artificial knee. If a patient continues to walk on the de-bonded knee, bone loss occurs as the device scrapes down the bone to which it is still somewhat attached. Revision surgeries where bone loss has occured requires the surgeon to implant an entirely new knee to fit the shorter tibia. Many DePuy Knee patients have consulted with DePuy Knee attorneys to file a claim for reimbursement of their medical expenses and others incurred by DePuy's negligence.

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