SPOTLIGHT: Pain pumps deliver relief, but also possible damage

A rare cartilage deterioration in young people who have had joint surgery has caught the attention of the FDA, providers and pain pump manufacturers, as almost 150 cases wind their way through the legal system seeking answers, judgments and potential damages.It is unknown why chondrolysis develops, but several medical studies have focused on pain pumps, postsurgical medical devices used to deliver local anesthetics to a specific area through a plastic tube. Legal questions revolve around whether the evidence is conclusive and whether manufacturers should have done more to warn surgeons about potential risks. Last week, an Oregon jury awarded nearly $5.5 million to a chondrolysis patient. Article