Personal InjuryDefective Depuy Hip Replacement Implants
For more than two years, Johnson & Johnson has received complaints about defective hip replacement implants made by the DePuy Orthopaedics unit of the company. On Thursday, August 26, 2010, Johnson & Johnson finally announced that it was recalling the hip implants because many patients required a second hip replacement after the first implant had failed.
Johnson & Johnson is recalling two 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, a method intended to preserve more bone.
Approximately 93,000 hip replacement devices have been implanted worldwide. In the United States, the F.D.A. has received about 400 complaints since early 2008 from patients who had the hip replacement devices implanted.
The majority of hip replacements using the ASR devices have been successful; however, the company is advising people who have had hip replacements with the recalled implants to visit their doctors for a check up. The company said it would pay the medical costs required to remedy the recalled implants, including new hip replacement surgery.
Over the past few years, the ASR implants have received attention because they use metal-on-metal bearings, which have been known to gather debris from wear, causing inflammation and tissue damage in certain patients. Many medical centers in the United States that specialize in joint replacement surgery have noticed a higher failure rate with the DePuy hip implants and are not surprised by the recall.
Recently, Johnson & Johnson has been compared to Toyota, whose reputation has suffered this year due to a series of recalls.
If you have had the ASR XL Acetabular System or the ASR Hip Resurfacing System implanted, and then had it removed due to failure of the system, or if your doctor recommends you have it removed, you need to consult us immediately. Please call 1-800-561-4887 for a free, no-obligation legal consultation from skilled Depuy attorneys in Los Angeles and Orange County.
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