Over 3,600 Shoulder Replacement Devices Recalled
Zimmer Biomet is recalling its “Comprehensive Reverse Shoulder” hardware, which is used in shoulder replacements. According to the FDA, the shoulder pieces are “cracking” at an abnormally high rate. The hardware looks like this and applies to units made between August 25, 2008 to September 27, 2011. This means many of these units are currently helping to move human arms, and that many of those people are now looking at an extra surgery. The units look like this:
One of my pet peeves, since I’ve started tracking recalls, is that manufacturing firms — even though they act as though they are trying to limit harm — make no mention of the recall on the front of their web pages. For instance, Zimmer’s webpage has a section called “The latest news @ZimmerBiomet.” But that section does not mention this news, even the FDA has determined that continued use of this shoulder equipment “may cause serious injuries or death.” See below. (No mention on Zimmer’s twitter feed either.)
