Pain pumps linked to destruction of shoulder joint cartilage

Excessive exposure to pain medication can deteriorate joint cartilage, leading to joint pain, stiffness and loss of range of motion.

Pain pumps deliver local anesthetic to a specific area of the body to alleviate pain. Hundreds of individuals across the country have used high-volume pain pumps to cope with the pain that often follows arthroscopic surgery.

A clinical study suggests, however, that the pumps may deliver too much medicine to the cartilage, causing a condition called postarthroscopic chondrolysis (PACL).

In 2009 the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued an alert to health care providers citing numerous reports of individuals who had been diagnosed with PACL following local anesthetic infusion therapy, and required the manufacturers of both the pumps and the anesthetics to update product labels to reflect the potentially serious adverse effects.

How can you be hurt by a pain pump?

PACL is a condition in which cartilage located within the joint begins to deteriorate. This typically occurs after an individual has had surgery on the affected joint and had been given a pain pump to administer pain-controlling medication. As excessive exposure to the pain medication begins to deteriorate the cartilage, the individual begins to experience the complications associated with the disorder. The most common symptoms are:

Joint pain
Joint stiffness
Loss of range of motion

To determine whether a pain pump patient has developed PACL, doctors will perform a thorough physical exam and, subsequently, a series of x-rays or other imaging studies. A decrease in the space within the joint will likely indicate the development of PACL.

How do I know if I have a claim?

We cannot answer that question without speaking to you personally. No two people are the same. Your injury might be different from that of another individual.

Protect your rights. Get compensated for your injuries.

If you have had to use a pain pump following joint surgery and have experienced the symptoms discussed above, you may be entitled to compensation. Call today at (800) 701-3672 and speak to one of our trained team members, or complete a Quick Case Review to receive a FREE case evaluation.

Call The Hollis Law Firm at 1-800-701-3672, or complete a Quick Case Review NOW to get your FREE case evaluation:

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