New Mexico Medical Devices - Studies Link Pain Pumps To Cartilage Deterioration
On January 22, an Oregon jury awarded a chondrolysis patient nearly $5.5 million in compensation. According New York Times, more than 150 such lawsuits are currently making their way through the court system.
Chondrolysis is a rare ailment in which joint cartilage dies, resulting in bone grinding on bone. Many times this surgery affects athletes, ending their athletic careers and leaving them with a lifetime of pain and disability.
Litigation against pain pump manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies and physicians using the pumps has exploded recently as more and more patients are discovering injuries attributable to the use of pain pumps during surgery. The pumps deliver controlled doses of pain medication directly to the surgical site, and often eliminate the need for post-surgical pain medication.
Findings suggest using these pain pumps in surgery causes shoulder joint cartilage to break down, resulting in pain and loss of mobility.
In November, the FDA issued a bulletin stating that it had never approved the use of shoulder pain pumps directly with joints. Doctors counter this, arguing that labels on pain pumps were vague and labels did not specifically warn against use of pain pumps in the joints.
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