MoM Hip Implants

DePuy Recalls Metal on Metal Hip Implants

DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc., a division of Johnson & Johnson, issued a voluntary recall of its ASR XL Acetabular Hip System and DePuy ASR Hip Resurfacing System in August 2010.  In an effort to hide its mounting problems from the public, the company began phasing these products out in early 2010, citing low sales.  Several months later, the truth was revealed: that the failure rate for these devices was much higher than initially thought, and therefore the company was issuing a recall.  In 40% of patients, this implant will fail within five years.

After the recall, Johnson & Johnson conducted a review of the recalled products and found out that DePuy had not adequately assessed the devices’ potential risks before it began marketing and sales.  Over 90,000 patients received this implants and were put at risk.

In addition to the gross lack of testing, the review revealed that the testing that was done was performed with inadequate standards, rendering it much less useful as a guide for patient safety.  The inadequate standards arose because DePuy only tested the implants at one angle, when a surgeon can implant a device at any number of angles depending upon the patient.  As a result, the fact that other angles could result in the metal pieces rubbing together and releasing metal debris inside the patient was left undiscovered.

The most unfortunate part of this review was its timing: instead of being done as reports of malfunctions began rolling in, the review was only done months after the recall was issued.  If it had been done earlier, countless patients could have been spared pain and multiple surgeries.

Have you or a loved one received a DePuy metal on metal hip implant?  If you have suffered serious complications as a result of your implant, you deserve full compensation for your injuries.  Contact a hip implant attorney at Kirkendall Dwyer LLP for the immediate answers you need.