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 issues warning about local anesthetics, pain pumps

on q pain pump 100x100The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is notifying health care professionals of reports of a serious and destructive cartilage condition known as chondrolysis in patients who have had shoulder surgery during which they received continuously infused local anesthetics to deaden pain. The anesthetics were delivered via pain pumps, balloon-like devices that hold medication outside the body and have a catheter that delivers pain medication directly into the joint for up to 72 hours following surgery.

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Doctor ‘lost sleep’ over chondrolysis in patients

chondrolysisDr. David S. Bailie, an orthopedic surgeon in Scottsdale, Ariz., says he’s lost hours of sleep over a rare joint condition he started seeing far too often in his patients who had had arthroscopic shoulder surgery. “There’s nothing worse than a surgeon doing something that causes a problem, not fixes a problem,” he told the New York Times.

Since 2005, Dr. Bailie says he has seen dozens of patients come to him months after surgery with worsening pain and limited mobility. The diagnosis was chondrolysis, a condition in which the cartilage in the joint wears away leaving bone to rub against bone. There is no cure for and in some cases, total replacement is required.

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Woman’s life turns topsy turvy after shoulder surgery

rotator cuff2 100x100Whitney Moore was in prime physical condition just a few years ago. She played junior varsity soccer at West Virginia University before opening a strength and conditioning business for young athletes. In 2004, she injured her playing soccer and had surgery to repair it. But the surgery only made her worse. Moore developed a once-rare condition known as chondrolysis, in which the cartilage in the joint wears away causing bone to rub against bone.

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