Pain Pump Causing Chondrolysis

Court: Stryker Still on the Hook for Pain Pump Liability

A federal court in Oregon has denied Stryker Corporation's request to dismiss a product liability lawsuit from a patient who suffered joint damage due to post-op use of a local anesthetic infusion pump.

The patient, Eric Shoenborn, is seeking financial compensation for the glenohumeral chondrolysis he suffered following a 2004 arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder. The surgeon who performed the procedure placed the pain pump's catheter directly into his shoulder joint, resulting in pain and destruction of the joint's cartilage. He filed suit in 2008, accusing the company of marketing pain pumps despite knowing the risk of delivering anesthetics into the joint space, and failing to warn physicians that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had not cleared the devices for such use.

The Kalamazoo, Mich.-based medical device manufacturer countered that the lawsuit fails to show that. at the time of Mr. Shoenborn's surgery, the scientific and medical community had any reason to know of these joint space risks. It maintained that under Oregon law its duty to alert physicians was limited to the dangers it was aware of.

Mr. Schoenborn's attorneys, however, presented the court with a 1985 clinical study on anesthetic risks in the joint space; internal communications from Stryker which discuss the lack of FDA approval of pain pump use in the joint space and the potential for anesthetic toxicity; and a deposition from the surgeon, who stated she would not have used the pump as she did had she known the FDA hadn't cleared it for joint space use.

In its July 11 ruling, the court wrote, "Though not overwhelming, plaintiffs present some evidence that Stryker knew or should have known of toxicity concerns associated with the administration of local anesthetics directly into the joint area.

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Pain pumps have been used to treat post-surgical pain for years, as they are considered a safe alternative to the possible side effects of oral pain killers. Unfortunately, the FDA warns pain pumps may be associated with the risk of a rare, but painful condition called Postarthroscopic Glenohumeral Chondrolysis (PAGCL), which leads to the permanent deterioration of cartilage, often requiring additional surgeries and even complete replacement of the joint.

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting pain pump induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by a pain pump, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our pain pump Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Anesthetic infusion devices, more widely known as pain pumps, are commonly used following surgical procedures in order to reduce pain. They can be used from anywhere between a few hours to a few days after surgery. Pain pumps consist of a pump and a catheter, which is placed in the joint of the surgical site. The pump automatically releases medication, which is delivered to the joint space by the catheter. Due to their close proximity to the actual injury, pain pumps are considered advantageous because they require smaller doses of pain medications, compared to oral drugs.

However, the pain pumps were never approved by the FDA. Instead, the FDA warn pain pumps may actually cause permanent injury to patients, especially following shoulder or knee surgeries. While the exact cause is not known, the anesthetic drugs, device material or another factor used in the pain pumps may have all caused the painful condition called Postarthroscopic Glenohumeral Chondrolysis (PAGCL), which is characterized by permanent cartilage deterioration, which may require additional surgeries or even a complete joint replacement.

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