In early January 2009, several lawsuits were filed in Arizona federal court on behalf of patients injured by shoulder pain pumps, medical devices implanted into the shoulder during surgery to alleviate post-operative shoulder joint pain. Numerous pain pump manufacturers are named as defendants in the lawsuits, including:
The shoulder pain pump PAGCL lawsuits, which are only the latest among about 100 lawsuits across the nation alleging injuries associated with shoulder pain pump use, seek a total of $68 million in damages. According to the lawsuits, shoulder pain pumps caused the plaintiffs to suffer painful and permanent cartilage damage. The lawsuits also allege that the shoulder pain pump manufacturers failed to warn the U.S. medical community that the safety of using pain pumps in the shoulder joint had not been established.
A study published in the October 2007 issue of The American Journal of Sports Medicine links the use of high-volume intra-articular shoulder pain pumps to Postarthroscopic Glenohumeral Chondrolysis (PAGCL), a painful and permanent condition in which hyaline cartilage in the shoulder joint is destroyed.
According to the study, as much as 63 percent of patients who use intra-articular shoulder pain pumps are at risk of developing PAGCL, which sometimes requires shoulder replacement surgery to treat. Due to the high risk of PAGCL, the study's authors recommend that patients avoid using intra-articular shoulder pain pumps, especially those that use bupivacaine with epinephrine, until their effects are further studied.
Individuals injured by a defective medical device, such as a shoulder pain pump, may be eligible to file a lawsuit seeking compensation for their injuries. Consumer Injury Lawyers is a consumer advocacy website that provides free information about shoulder pain pump lawsuits.
Contact an experienced shoulder pain pump attorney for a free and confidential shoulder pain pump case evaluation.
