DEFENSE VERDICT – ALLEGED NEGLIGENT PLACEMENT OF A COMPONENT DURING A HIP REPLACEMENT SURGERY

Marc Erickson and Vanessa Gross successfully defended our client, a local orthopedic surgeon, in a jury trial in which the plaintiff alleged that negligent placement of a component during a total hip replacement surgery caused subsequent dislocations and subsequent revision surgeries.

In a total hip replacement surgery, an acetabular component (which resembles a cup) is placed in the acetabulum (the socket) of the patient’s pelvis. This cup needs to be placed at certain angles referred to as angles of abduction and anteversion.

The defendant doctor admitted that he placed the cup at a greater angle of abduction than he intended, but disputed that he placed the cup at a greater angle of anteversion than he intended. The defendant doctor also admitted that the malpositioning of the cup by him caused the subsequent dislocations and the need for revision surgery.

Marc and Vanessa successfully argued, however, that the malpositioning was not a breach of the standard of care.

After a four-day trial, a Johnson County, Kansas jury returned a verdict in favor of our client.