About DePuy Hip Replacement

In March 2010, DePuy Orthopedics, a division of Johnson & Johnson, acknowledged that its ASR metal-on-metal hip replacement system, was linked to a high failure rate and that the device would be removed from the market. Many patients have experienced hip failures within a matter of years after the device was implanted, leading to an additional expensive and painful hip replacement surgery.

According to a New York Times report, medical experts said that a DePuy ASR cup recall should have been issued earlier, claiming that the failures are linked to a design problem that makes them difficult to implant. DePuy officials say that ASR hip implant failures are most likely to occur in patients of smaller stature, including women and individuals with weak bones. The FDA has received complaints from about 300 recipients since 2008, most of who had to undergo another round of hip surgery to replace the defective ASR hip implants.

The ASR is a metal-on-metal hip replacement system. Health care professionals have increasingly been warning about problems with metal-on-metal hip implants, which can shed metal particles into the body. The particles can damage soft tissue, cause inflammatory reactions and lead to bone loss. Surgeons are warning that one to three percent of all metal on metal hip implant recipients may experience hip implant problems, and possibly need to have the devices replaced, due to metallic debris.

Conditions Caused By DePuy Hip Replacement

• Inflammatory reactions
• Death of soft tissue in the hip joint
• Loss of bone surrounding the hip joint

Side Effects & Symptoms

• Pain in the groin
• Fracture
• Loosening of the joint
• Dislocation
• Difficulty walking and bearing weight

Warnings & Recalls

• DePuy initially indicated that the DePuy ASR hip cup was being phased out due to low sales numbers, a letter was sent to doctors on March 6, 2010 warning about a potential risk of ASR hip replacement problems.
• U.K. researchers studied 660 patients who had received metal hip implants from DePuy Orthopedics and found that 3.4 percent suffered from adverse reactions to metal debris.
• DePuy announced it would phase the devices out by late 2010. However, the hip implants have already been put into thousands of people's bodies worldwide.

DEPUY HIP REPLACEMENT QUESTIONNAIRE

The purpose of this Questionnaire is to compile accurate and complete information that is needed for the investigation of a possible claim regarding your Knee replacement. The information you provide will be used by our office only.

Please answer every question as accurately as possible. Some of the questions may not be applicable to you and, if so, please indicate “not applicable” (n/a) in the space provided. However, please answer all questions that do apply to you and/or the injured party, even if the questions do not seem relevant to the alleged medical malpractice.

If you have any questions regarding any of the items, please contact Robert Sickels or Jason Thompson at 248-266-2536