MEDTRONIC BONE INFUSE LAWSUITS ARE ON THE RISE IN FLORIDA
There are currently a large number of people actively involved in litigating cases against the company Medtronic, and the number continues to grow. The purpose for the majority of these lawsuits stems from experienced post-surgery complications after surgeons used the company’s product, Bone Infuse, to assist with stimulating bone growth during the surgery. The problem with the product is that its initial intended use, approved by the FDA, was not how these surgeons were using it. Medtronic has been accused of promoting off-label usage of their product, which subsequently, has caused very serious side effects to patients it was improperly used on.
The very serious allegations that continue against Medtronic claim that the company minimized the severity of risks involved pertaining to the uncontrolled growth of bone in the spine. The lawsuit against the company alleges that the number of these types of excessive bone growth cases exceeds that of which Medtronic discloses as the factual number.
The severity of the complications involved with the off-label use of Medtronic Bone Infuse is so great, that the FDA has advised doctors, by issuing an alert, of the complications. Specifically, doctors were warned that using Medtronic Bone Infuse in upper regions of the spine during fusion procedures could attribute to extreme neck swelling, breathing issues and other life threatening side effects.
Excessive bone growth in the spine due to using Medtronic Bone Infuse can have long lasting effects which can leave a person permanently disabled. The uncontrolled growth of the bone has caused damage to nerves, which generally cause residual issues throughout the body. Additionally, the uncontrolled growth of bone in undesired areas of the body can create very serious issues.
The medical term used to describe excessive bone growth is Heterotopic Bone Growth. The manufactured protein that Medtronic uses in its product has been shown to find its way into other unintended areas of the body. When the BMP, or bone morphogenic protein, leaks into areas of the spinal cord, the effects can be devastating.
Issues that result from Medtronic Bone Infuse excessive bone growth can be, but are not limited to:
- Inflammation of affected area post-surgery
- Necessary second procedure to rectify the complications of the spine
- Continued and worsened pain which surgery was intended to alleviate
- Problems post-surgery leading all the way to death
There are reports that years before the problems with off-label usage of the product became known, studies were done which demonstrated the possibility of excess growth in using Medtronic Bone Infuse on the lumbar spine. The unfortunate truth is that Medtronic has known for many years that there was potential for uncontrolled bone growth. By promoting off-label use of their product, they placed serious risk of severe complications on the patients who had Bone Infuse used on them. It is important to know that if you or a loved one has been the victim of Medtronic Bone Infuse off-label grafting, you may be entitled to recover for any injury that resulted from the product, as well as a possible pain and suffering.
Contact the Medtronic Bone Infuse attorneys at Madalon Law for your free consultation and get a better understanding of what options you may have. We are based out of Fort Lauderdale and fight for the rights of victims throughout the state of Florida.