Rottenstein Law Group Pleased with Efforts to Establish National Joint Registries, But is Wary of Conflicts of Interest

(New York, NY, May 16, 2011) The Rottenstein Law Group, which represents clients with claims stemming from the failures of defective knee replacement devices manufactured and sold by Zimmer Holdings, Inc., is supportive of efforts to create national joint registries like those in countries abroad, but is concerned that any registries affiliated with joint device manufacturers might have an obvious conflict of interest.
In the wake of the August 2010 DePuy Orthopaedics ASR hip replacement recall, and with a possible future recall of Zimmer Holdings’ NexGen knee devices, two initiatives to create artificial joint replacement registries have been gaining steam. Other registries outside the United States played a significant role inthe DePuy recall, particularly the ones in Australia and the United Kingdom. To its credit, Zimmer, manufacturer of the problem-plagued NexGen CR-Flex knee replacement, also initiated a recall of some of its defective products: 350 components of the NexGen LPS-Flex were quietly recalled for having “nonconforming and inconsistent geometry”.
As pressure mounts in calling for removal of the NexGen CR-Flex knee replacement components from the market, it’s important to point out that an artificial joint registry would aid in earlier detection of problems, sparing recipients from side effects.
There is private funding on the table for one artificial joint registry to be created in the United States: the American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR) received $1.7 million from both the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and AdvaMed, an artificial joint replacement trade association. However, one of the AJRR’s board members is Cheryl Blanchard, Zimmer’s chief scientific officer, a fact that concerns the Rottenstein Law Group because her appointment might cause a conflict of interest. The AJRR began pilot programs in 16 hospitals last December, and is planning on nationwide expansion.
The federal government is currently building its own registry: the National Orthopaedic Outcome Registry (NOOR). A $12 million grant is in place from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Health Care Research and Quality. Noor will be headquartered at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Other participants in this consortium will include: the University of Rochester Medical Center, The University of Maryland Medical Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Kaiser-Permanente Georgia, and the Connecticut Joint Replacement Institute at St. Francis Medical Center. NOOR will track only 30,000 artificial implant recipients who undergo surgery at the country’s most common joint procedure facility locations.
Unfortunately, recipients of joint replacement devices are not normally told which devices they are being implanted with. This circumstance can lead to a victim failing to take the appropriate action when faced with subsequent difficulties. The Rottenstein Law Group is encouraging anyone with a friend or relative who has had a knee replacement to recommend that he or she speak to a physician immediately, and then speak to a qualified personal injury lawyer. The Rottenstein Law Group lawyers have a total of more than 25 years of experience fighting for the rights of clients who have suffered harm due to the negligence of powerful corporations.
The Rottenstein Law Group maintains a Zimmer Knee Replacement Lawsuit Information Center which is equipped with easy-to-use social media features that will enable users to spread the word about DePuy Pinnacle hip replacement device failures.
About the Rottenstein Law Group
The Rottenstein Law Group is a New York-based law firm that represents clients in mass tort actions. The firm was founded by Rochelle Rottenstein, a lawyer with over two decades of experience in compassionate representation of clients in consumer product injury, mass tort, and class action law suits. For more information, please visit their Web site, or call (888) 9-ROT-LAW.

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