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Depuy™ Hip Lawyer

Urgent DePuy Hip Replacement Recall

If you have had hip replacement surgery, check with your surgeon to learn if you received the DePuy ASR XL Acetabular System™ or the DePuy ASR Hip Resurfacing System™.  Those products have been recalledby Johnson & Johnson and its DePuy Orthopaedics subsidiary, according to an August, 2010 announcement.

Persons receiving these hip replacements have undergone a high rate of repeat surgeries to correct problems that include pain, inflammation, and difficulty walking.  A variety of other conditions may also occur, including loosening of the cup and detachment from the bone, dislocation, and fractures.

Because both hip replacement devices use a metal-on-metal design, metal particles have been found to shed into the patient’s body when components move together. This metal debris can spread around the replacement site. 

DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc., makers of the recalled hip replacement systems, was acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 1998. It designs, manufactures, markets and distributes products for reconstructing damaged or diseased joints. DePuy’s hip resurfacing product, a form of hip replacement arthroplasty, was intended to provide patients with an alternative to total hip replacement where less bone could be removed and fewer hip dislocations occur. Unfortunately those benefits may be greatly outweighed by the dangers of DePuy’s defective hip replacement.

Lawsuits filed on California and New Jersey contend DePuy was aware of the defects in its design. Healthcare professionals have issued increasing warnings about the metal-on-metal devices. DePuy received more than 300 reports regarding the flawed design. Additionally, DePuy discontinued use of the devices in 2009, ostensibly to focus on emerging technologies.

Thousands of hip replacements take place each year and are commonly successful. Unfortunately, patients who underwent defective hip replacement using DePuy’s ASR Hip Resurfacing System or the ASR XL Acetabular Cups System or among 93,000 other patients worldwide who may experience the symptoms described, and may face revision surgery.

According to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, one in eight patients will be forced to undergo the revision surgery due to defects in the ASR system. This is bad news for patients who have already undergone months of pain, inconvenience,  and rehabilitation therapy to recover from the initial hip replacement  surgery. 

If you believe you have received one of these devices, seek assistance from your surgeon, who can evaluate the performance of your hip replacement. Then seek assistance from a product liability attorney.