One in Eight Hip Implants Could Be Faulty

A DePuy hip recall of their hip implant devices was announced by DePuy Orthopedics, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, in September 2010. These recalls have included the DePuy Acetabular System and the DePuy ASR Resurfacing System. The ASR Resurfacing System was marketed only outside of the United States, but the ASR Acetabular System was sold globally and is the main focus in American cases. The DePuy hip recall was issued because Australian research revealed that, approximately five years after the patient received the DePuy hip implant, 12% of patients who had received the ASR Resurfacing System and 13% of patients who received the ASR total hip replacement had to have them replaced due to loosening or lack of cohesion.

 DePuy hip implant recall attorneys say that the DePuy hip implant lawsuits already filed allege that the manufacturer, a division of Johnson & Johnson, was negligent in designing, testing and/or manufacturing of the ASR Acetabular Cup System and the DePuy ASR Hip Resurfacing System. In addition, medical experts say that the shoddy designing of many metal-on-metal implants, including the DePuy ASR Acetabular System and the DePuy ASR Hip Resurfacing System, was the unfortunate result of the competitive frenzy that occurred when metal-on-metal hip implants suddenly gained popularity several years ago.

A 2010 study by the National Joint Registry of England and Wales indicated a Depuy hip failure rate of 12% in the ASR Hip Resurfacing System, and a failure rate of 13% in the ASR XL Acetabular System. Patients whose implants failed needed a second hip replacement within five years or the original hip replacement surgery. Using these statistics as a guide, one out of every eight hip replacements with this implant system will fail, often requiring a revision (second) surgery. Victims of hip implant failure should consult a DePuy hip lawyer with experience in medical device liability as soon as possible.