If you have developed Postarthroscopic Glenohumeral Chondrolysis (PAGCL), after shoulder or joint surgery, you are probably suffering from daily pain, and you are facing additional surgeries, including possible shoulder replacement. You may still be in the dark about exactly what PAGCL is. You'll learn more about that term on this page.

You may also be in the dark about your legal rights. The MedLaw Legal Team of Janet, Jenner & Suggs, LLC can help you obtain compensation to pay for the harm you've suffered. If you have PAGCL, legal action can help you obtain money for additional surgeries, as well as your pain and suffering. Fill out our online contact form or call us at 1-888-4-MED-LAW for an evaluation of your case.

For a full understanding of PAGCL, it's important to understand more about the shoulder. The shoulder area is comprised of three bones: the clavicle or collarbone; the scapula or shoulder blade; and the long humerus bone that makes up the upper arm. Those bones are tied together by various muscles, ligaments and tendons. Your shoulder is made up of a ball-and-socket joint called the glenohumeral joint. Of all the joints in the human body, the shoulder joint allows for the greatest range of motion -- and any injury can make even the simplest daily tasks more difficult.

The flexible connective tissue that smoothes movement and reduces friction between joint bones is called articular cartilage. This cartilage is made from specialized cells called chondrocytes. Thus, when the articular cartilage is damage or destroyed, doctors call the condition "chondrolysis. Because damaged chondrocyte cells are not easily repaired, an injury to articular cartilage is often permanent.

Here is a look at the individual words in Postarthroscopic Glenohumeral Chondrolysis:

• Postarthroscopic = Following arthroscopic surgery
• Glenohumeral = Shoulder joint
• Chondrolysis = Articular cartilage damage or destruction

One documented cause of chondrolysis is the use of pain pumps, also known as intra-articular pumps or pain balls, following arthroscopic shoulder surgery. A pain pump is a small device that bathes the joint with a local anesthetic for 48 to 72 hours. The Medlaw Legal Team and other lawyers allege that pain manufacturers advised doctors to use the devices directly in the shoulder joint -- even though the FDA specifically denied their applications to use the pain pumps in that manner.

That improper use of pain pumps and anesthesia destroyed articular cartilage in the shoulder, leaving bone rubbing against bone. This eventually led to disintegration of the surface of the bones and the development of PAGCL.

The loss of cartilage caused by PAGCL cannot be reversed and so far doctors have not found an effective treatment. In many cases, individuals who suffer chondrolysis require costly shoulder replacement surgery.

You may not be able to have the cartilage in your shoulder repaired, but you can hold pain pump makers accountable for the harm you've suffered -- and we can help. If you or a loved one has experienced cartilage damage and pain due to Postarthroscopic Glenohumeral Chondrolysis (PAGCL) following shoulder arthroscopic surgery, contact the MedLaw Legal Team of Janet, Jenner & Suggs, LLC by filling out the contact form or calling us at 1-888-4-MED-LAW.