Federal Court Grants Smith & Nephew’s Request for Protective Order in Birmingham Hip Case

CHICAGO — A federal judge has issued a protective order sought by Smith & Nephew in a Birmingham Hip Resurfacing System case, allowing the company to maintain confidentiality for documents and deposition testimony relating to manufacturing methods or sales it says are entitled to statutory protections under the Food and Drug Administration’s approval process.

U.S. District Judge Robert W. Gettleman of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois signed the 12-page order Sept. 11 in a case alleging that loosening of the hip components led to multiple revision surgeries and metal contamination.

The motion was opposed by …