DePuy Hip Implant Recall

After receiving a warning letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”), Johnson & Johnson recently announced that it was recalling two kinds of hip implants made by DePuy Orthopaedics, a unit of Johnson & Johnson. The recall follows reports that these hip implants are prone to early failure, resulting in patients having to undergo a second hip replacement surgery. The recall affects two DePuy products: the ASR XL Acetabular System, a hip socket used in traditional hip replacement, and the ASR Hip Resurfacing System, a partial hip replacement that involves placing a metal cap on the ball of the femur.

Metal on Metal Hip Replacement

The high early failure rate of the ASR implants was reported earlier this year in several New York Times articles. The implants have come under scrutiny of late because they are part of a category of implants called “metal-on-metal bearings,” which can generate debris from wear, causing inflammation and tissue damage in certain patients. In March, the regulatory agency in charge of medical devices in Britain issued an advisory on metal debris generated by hip implants. An FDA spokesperson announced recently that the FDA would soon meet with professional medical groups to discuss the British advisory.

DePuy advised patients who had had hip replacements with the recalled products to visit their surgeons for an evaluation and annual monitoring. The company further announced that it would pay for medical expenses associated with the recalled products.

If you or a loved one has suffered the failure of a recalled DePuy hip implant, please call the experienced lawyers at Martin & Jones for a free, no obligation consultation and additional information about DePuy hip implants.

Symptoms of a failed or failing hip implant include the following:

• Implant failure requiring revision surgery
• Swelling
• Loosening of implant
• Serious or lingering pain
• Fracture of hip bone
• Dislocation of implant

DePuy has recalled the following products:

• ASR XL Acetabular System
• ASR Hip Resurfacing System