Pain Pumps

Pain management pumps like the I-Flow, On-Q PainBuster, Stryker Pain Pump, Donjoy Pain Control Device and Accufuser® Plus Pain Pump are used to deliver continuous dosages of pain medication to the shoulder for up to 72 hours after arthroscopic surgery.  Recent medical studies show a strong link between pain pumps dispensing medications directly into the shoulder space and a serious, permanent injury known as Postarthroscopic Glenohumeral Chondrolysis  (PAGCL).

PAGCL is an irreversible, debilitating and painful medical condition involving deterioration of the cartilage in the shoulder joint.  Symptoms of PAGCL include shoulder pain, stiffness, popping or grinding when the shoulder is in motion, decrease in range of motion and a loss of strength in the joint.  In many cases, PAGCL can be diagnosed by x-ray. 

There is no cure for PAGCL. Lifestyle modification, pain medication, medical management and physical therapy may provide temporary relief; however, surgical procedures, including partial and complete shoulder joint replacements, may be necessary.

The manufacturers of these pain pumps have failed to adequately test, investigate, instruct and warn the US medical community about the dangers of their use in the shoulder space. Their failure to warn of this problem while encouraging the improper placement have caused devastating injuries.