Medtronic Infuse Lawsuits on the Rise

By Staff Writer

Minnesota-based Medtronic, the fourth largest medical device company in the world, is no stranger to lawsuits.  One of the latest issues facing this Fortune 500 company are lawsuits filed by over 1,000 people regarding the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP-2) product known as Infuse, which is used in spinal surgery.

Infuse is a biologic agent that has been implanted in over 1 million people to replace spinal discs as well as generate more bone growth in the spinal area.

In 2002 the FDA approved Medtronic’s bone graft to aid in the treatment of degenerative disk disease and for limited use in the lower back area. However, what has not been approved is the off label use of the infuse bone stimulator in the cervical spine.

It is alleged that Medtronic paid 13 doctors and 2 corporations over $210 million to co-author a series of papers trying to advance and heighten the product in the medical community.

Two individual reports that came out in 2013 found that Infuse is no more beneficial than regular spinal surgery and that the product can cause serious medical issues.

What are some of the side effects from using Medtronic Infuse Bone Graft?

Most of the issues have been reported to happen within 2 to 14 days after the surgery, and include.

• Sterility
• Cancer
• Swelling of the airways
• Can cause growth of unwanted bone
• Infections

At the end of the fiscal quarter of 2014, it was shown that over 1,000 patients had been involved in at least 700 medical lawsuits regarding infuse in both state and federal courts.  Unfortunately, these are only continuing to rise.

If you or one of your loved ones has been affected by the Infuse bone graft or any other defective medical product, please contact an attorney specializing in these types of cases for a free consultation.

To learn more about defective medical products as well as ongoing lawsuits and investigations, continue browsing our blog or visit our knowledge center today.

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