Pain Pump Practice Center: __________________ Pain Pumps May Cause Injuries What is PAGCL? Defective Pain Pumps Pain Pump Litigation We will work under a Contingency Fee Contract

Many have never come across the medical term of “Postarthroscopic glenohumeral chondrolysis” or PAGCL, but if you or a family member has been diagnosed with the condition call our Law Firm, you may have a claim for damages.  This rare medical condition occurs when cartilage, a connective tissue that helps joints move, begins to deteriorate around the shoulder. PAGCL often will cause severe pain and permanent shoulder limitations.

Medical Symptoms of PAGCL may include:

• Limited range of shoulder motion
• Clicking or popping in the shoulder joint
• Shoulder weakness  
• Shoulder pain
• Shoulder stiffness

Medical experts across the country agree that there is a documented link between PAGCL and the use of an Intra-Articular Pain Pump Catheter, a medical device, inserted during shoulder surgery inserted in the shoulder joint to deliver pain medication for following a shoulder operation. In a medical study led by Dr. Charles Beck, an orthopedic surgeon in the State of Utah, documented a sudden appearance of cases of postarthroscopic glenohumeral chondrolysis. The underlying cause is unconfirmed, but the consequences are devastating. 

Dr. Beck wrote in the October 2007 issue of the American Journal of Sports Medicine. “This condition currently has no effective treatment.”  It is believed that PAGCL is associated with a specific factor such as implanted surgical devices or a surgical technique.  In the study, 177 patients had undergone shoulder surgery. Among those patients, 19 used intra-articular pain pump catheters filled with bupivacaine and epinephrine – unfortunely 12 of those 19 patients developed PAGCL. In all, 63 percent of patients who used the intra-articular pain pump catheters developed PAGCL. Dr. Beck wrote that this incidence of chondrolysis in this series is startlingly high. All patients had previously made significant gains in motion after surgery and appeared to be recovering normally, after a period of immobilization lasting 4 weeks. However, affected patients then reported new onset of pain, stiffness, increased pain with motion, and crepitus within the first year after surgery.

The study authors recommended that the use of intra-articular pain pump catheters, in combination with bupivacaine or epinephrine, be avoided in all joints with an intact cartilage surface until further study was completed.  Currently, there is no effective treatment for PAGCL. Doctors may prescribe anti-inflammatory medications, but in many cases, patients must undergo a surgical procedure known as arthoplasty, where the damaged shoulder joint is replaced with metal and plastic pieces.

If you underwent shoulder surgery where a pain pump was used and who may now be experiencing symptoms of PAGCL should contact their treating physician or seek other medical attention. Medical malpractice claims like the one at issue for alleged injuries from a pain pump is a difficult areas of litigation, since the negligent action must be documented and proven within specific guidelines.

If you need to speak with an attorney about pain pumps and the condition postarthroscopic glenohumeral chondrolysis, or PAGCL - then call our Law Firm.