Pain Pumps and cartilage damage

recent studies have shown that intra-articular pain pumps can cause catastrophic cartilage damage

stryker pain pumpThe pain pump is designed to deliver medication directly to the surgical wound site or in close proximity to the nerves associated with the surgical area for post-operative pain management. The pain pump infuses the medication at an hourly flow rate or combination of an hourly flow rate and controlled bolus doses.

A recent study published by The American Journal of Sports Medicine identified intra-articular (aka post-operative ) as the likely cause of a condition known as chondrolysis.

Postarthroscopic Glenohumeral Chondrolysis is a specific type of chondrolysis that is associated with and shoulder surgery.

Anyone who has used a to regulate pain following , knee, hip, ankle or back surgery should consult their doctor if they are experiencing any of the following symptoms:

  • continued pain
  • weakness in the
  • clicking, popping or grinding in the
  • decreased range of motion in the

free legal consultation

If you or a loved one have been injured by an intra-articular pain pump, if you have been diagnosed with chondrolysis or PAGCL, or if you are experiencing the symptoms associated with or PAGCL, you may have a claim against the manufacturers of these .

Please contact us today by filling out the brief questionnaire, or by calling our toll free number (1-800-898-2034) for a free, no-cost no-obligation evaluation of your case.

Latest News

FDA offers shoulder pain pump safety tips to nurses

surgical nurse 100x100The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released safety tips for nurses on elastomeric infusion devices, or pain pumps, used during and up to 72 hours after surgery to deliver a continuous amount of local anesthetic directly into the patient’s intra-articular space, or joint, for postoperative pain control. The FDA has received approximately 35 reports of chondrolysis in patients who received continuous intra-articular infusions with pain pump devices. This type of , called postarthroscopic glenhumeral (PAGCL), occurs when the cartilage is worn away, causing bone to rub against bone. It is a severe, life-altering complication that is usually irreversible. Many patients require a total replacement.

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Safety and efficacy of pain pumps discussed at medical conference

shoulder dislocation xray 1 100x100Pros and cons of various types of intra-articular injections, continuous catheters and their place in the anesthesiologists’ armamentarium was presented by Asokumar Buvanendran, MD, director of orthopedic anesthesia and associate professor of anesthesiology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, at the 2010 annual spring meeting of the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine.

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Pain pumps cause problems for shoulder surgery patients

on q pain pump 100x100Pain pumps are getting a bad rap lately, thanks to the emergence of chondrolysis, a debilitating condition that was once unheard of in the joint but is now affecting hundreds who have undergone shoulder surgery. But Pearland, Texas, Dr. Leo Lapuerta says the devices are not banned for all medical procedures and that they are particularly beneficial for plastic surgeries.

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