“Dr. Hayes impressed the court as an expert witness whose testimony was offered with a view toward assisting the court in understanding technical information in a neutral and unbiased manner. He was a very credible witness.”
The UHMWPE tibial component of a group of unicondylar prostheses were sterilized by gamma radiation in air and stored for extended periods. After implantation, the devices failed by severe pitting and delamination. *What were the mechanisms of failure? *Were the failures the consequence of overloading or the sterilization and storage procedures? *What are the long term consequences of these implant failures?
A 61-year-old female weighing 190 pounds presented to the emergency room in severe pain and unable to walk. Radiographs revealed a fractured total hip replacement. *What was the mechanism of failure? *Was the failure the consequence of overloading of an undersized prosthesis? *Was the failure the consequence of an inherent design defect?
A 65-year-old male with a comminuted fracture of the patella was treated using a cerclage system. Five months later the patient suffered a rupture of the patellar ligament and it was noted that the cable locking system had slipped. *What was the mechanism of failure? *Was the failure of the locking system the consequence of flawed manufacturing and inspection procedures?
