Kalur Law Files Lawsuits Against Pain Pump and Local Anesthetic Manufacturers

Lawsuits allege use of device delivering local anesthetics in the shoulder
joint causes permanent and painful damage.

PORTLAND, Ore., Jan. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Kalur Law Office filed six
lawsuits on Jan. 8, 2009, in Arizona Federal Court on behalf of patients
injured following the use of a medical device called a 'pain pump'. The
lawsuits add to the growing number of cases across the country against some of
the nation's largest pain pump manufacturers, including Stryker Corporation
(NYSE: SYK), I-Flow Inc. (Nasdaq: IFLO), DJ Orthopedics Inc., Sorenson
Medical, McKinley Medical, LLC, Moog, Inc. (NYSE: MOG.A), Curlin Medical, Inc.
(a subsidiary of Moog), and Breg Inc. (a subsidiary of Orthofix International
N.V. (Nasdaq: OFIX). The plaintiffs allege the products developed by these
companies result in a lifelong and painfully debilitating injury to the
shoulder.
According to the lawsuits, the injuries are a direct result of the pain
pump delivering local anesthetics into the shoulder joint. Plaintiffs allege
device manufacturers failed to warn the medical community that use of the pain
pump directly in the shoulder joint could permanently damage the shoulder.
Some pain pump manufacturers sought U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
approval to use the pumps in the shoulder joint, but failed to disclose to
doctors that the FDA denied clearance to market the device for this use on
numerous occasions.
The lawsuits allege none of the device or drug companies conducted basic
safety tests on animals or humans to see if use of the pain pump in the
shoulder joint was safe and effective. The lawsuits also claim pain pump
manufacturers withheld this information from orthopedic surgeons who used the
pain pumps on patients following shoulder surgery.
Plaintiffs allege that after receiving the pain pump they developed a
condition called chondrolysis, a permanent disability in the shoulder joint
caused by the destruction of cartilage. Once cartilage in the shoulder is
destroyed, it does not regenerate. This condition was rarely seen in
post-operative shoulders prior to the use of pain pumps.
The pain pump devices, manufactured by named defendants, deliver high and
continuous dosing of local anesthetic directly to the shoulder joint space.
According to several medical experts, the continuous infusion of local
anesthetic drugs delivered by the pain pump into the shoulder joint should be
avoided, as studies show it causes permanent irreversible damage to the
shoulder.
In June of 2008, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS)
issued a statement alerting surgeons of the risk posed to their patients by
the use of post-operative pain pumps inside the joint space. The AAOS
statement warns of the toxicity to articular cartilage of local anesthetics,
such as bupivicane and lidocaine that are delivered by the pain pump. To view
the AAOS statement, please visit
http://www.aaos.org/news/aaosnow/dec08/clinical8.asp.
In January 2009, Health Canada, the Canadian government counterpart to the
FDA, published a "Canadian Adverse Reaction Newsletter," urging surgeons to
refrain from using post-operative pain pumps for continuous infusion of the
joint space with local anesthetics, and to follow the recently revised
manufacturer's instructions to that effect. To view the newsletter, please
visit http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/medeff/bulletin/carn-bcei_v19n1-eng.php.
"The support provided by the internationally recognized American Academy
of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) as well as by the Canadian government is
critically important for our clients and any future shoulder patients'
safety," said Laura Kalur, one of the lead attorneys in these cases. "It helps
assure injured patients nationwide and world-wide that they aren't alone in
this fight."
Dr. Constance Chu, a leading researcher in cartilage injury, was recently
interviewed in the November issue of Orthopedics Today about her series of
research articles on the issue of the toxicity of continuous infusion of local
anesthetics on cartilage. Dr. Chu recommends avoiding continuous use of local
anesthetics through intra-articular infusion, as studies show it results in
permanent damage. To view this article, please visit
http://www.orthosupersite.com/view.asp?rID=32428.
In late 2007, Dr. Charles Beck, a well-respected orthopedic surgeon,
published an article in The American Journal of Sports Medicine, demonstrating
a strong association between the use of high volume pain pumps following
shoulder surgery and the loss of hyaline cartilage in the shoulder joint. Dr.
Beck's article was a retrospective study of patients who had received pain
pumps in the shoulder joint space and showed an alarmingly high incidence of
chondrolysis -- 63 percent of patients who received intra-articular pain pumps
suffered chondrolysis.
To date, more than 100 lawsuits are pending across the country, alleging
similar claims against pain pump manufacturers.
To learn more about the devastating complications resulting from use of
pain pumps after shoulder surgery or how to file your own claim against
manufacturers, please call toll free (800) 898-2034 or visit
http://www.painpump.net.
About Kalur Law
Kalur Law represents individuals and families injured by defective
products and medical devices, focusing on complex medical cases. Kalur has
represented hundreds of injured and disabled clients. Learn more at
http://www.kalurlaw.com.
CONTACTS:

Laura B. Kalur (503) 595-4145
Kalur Law Office
lbkalur@kalurlaw.com

Mark Firmani (206) 443-9357
Firmani + Associates Inc.
Mark@firmani.com

SOURCE Kalur Law Office

Laura B. Kalur of Kalur Law Office, +1-503-595-4145, lbkalur@kalurlaw.com; or
Mark Firmani of Firmani + Associates Inc., +1-206-443-9357, Mark@firmani.com,
for Kalur Law Office