DePuy Hip Recall

If you or a loved one received a DePuy ASR Hip Replacement after July of 2003, you may have been informed that there has been a DePuy hip recall of these devices.

DePuy Orthapaedics, Inc., which is a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson, manufactured two types of hip replacement products. One was the DePuy ASR XL Acetabular Hip System; the other was the DePuy ASR Hip Resurfacing Platform.

There are several hip replacement products, which work in slightly different ways. The hip is a structure that is a ball and joint mechanism. The hip joint fits into a socket, and the socket is called the acetabulum. The femoral head at the top of the thigh bone rotates within the curved surface of the acetabulum. There are three types of hip replacements: the ASR Hip, where the acetabulum socket is replaced, the ASR XL Total Hip, where the femoral stem is inserted inside the femur bone. The femoral head attaches to the stem and rotates within the acetabulum, and a Resurfacing System, where a cup is placed over the natural femoral head and the acetabulum is replaced with a single piece cup.

The manufacturer has done a voluntary DePuy ASR recall of its two of its products, the DePuy ASR XL Acetabular Hip System and the DePuy ASR Hip Resurfacing Platform. Recipients of these systems have reported problems with the replacements resulting in hip pain, and swelling, difficulty walking. DePuy states that there is a 12% failure rate for the ASC resurfacing platform and a 13% failure rate of the Acetabular Hip System. Most people experience this failure within the first 5 years of receiving the replacement, which necessitates having a revision surgery. The causes of the failure are related to loosening of the implant, where it does not stay attached to the bone, fracture, where the bone breaks around the replacement, or dislocation where the two parts of the hip are no longer aligned. It has also been found that the movement of the ball and socket over a period of time cause microscopic particles to collect the hip that can cause pain, swelling and fluid to collect.

It is estimated that there are 93,000 patients who have received these faulty hip replacements. There is currently no national DePuy class action lawsuit at this time. The cases that are being filed are likely to be organized into multi-district litigation where common aspects of the cases will be supervised by a single judge.

If you are affected by the DePuy hip recall, it is important to speak with a lawyer who can advise you as to your rights including filing a DePuy ASR lawsuit. There is never any charge to speak with one of our experienced lawyers to can inform you what legal options may be available to you.