DePuy ASR Metal on Metal Hip Failure Rate May Be As High as 37%

In August 2010, Johnson & Johnson issued a Depuy ASR recall; however, 93,000 people worldwide had already received the implant. When the Depuy ASR was recalled Johnson & Johnson indicated this metal on metal hip implant only had a 13% failure rate. But internal documents recently released as part of the lawsuit, reveals the failure rate could be as high as 37%. This is substantially higher than what consumers were previously led to believe.

The DePuy ASR metal on metal hip implant design has a metal femur head that rotates within a metal cup, known as a metal-on-metal design. According to the FDA Metal-on-Metal (MoM) Hip Implant Systems consist of a metal ball, metal stem and a metal shell. MoM hip implants were designed to offer the following benefits: less device wear, decreased chance of dislocation, and decreased chance of fracture. According to the FDA, there are two types of Metal on Metal hip implants: resurfacing hip systems and traditional metal on metal total hip replacement systems.

According to the product liability lawsuits over the DePuy ASR metal on metal hip implant, the implant is subject to early failure due to the metal particles that are released into the hip joint as the metal parts rub against each other.

In addition to lawsuits over the DePuy ASR metal on metal hip implants, other metal on metal hip implants have been named in a large number of lawsuits, including the DePuy Pinnacle hip, Biomet M2A Magnum hip and Wright Medical Conserve Cup.

In January, the FDA released new guidelines for metal on metal hip replacements. Medical doctors were told to use metal on metal hip replacement implants only if other hip implants were not suitable.

The Wall Street Journal reported that documents in the Kransky lawsuit indicate that the manufacturer was aware of the potential problems with metallosis in DePuy metal on metal hip implant recipients by at least 2008. However, the company did not stop selling the metal on metal hip implant until 2009.

About Law Offices of Lisa Douglas

Lisa Douglas has been licensed as a Registered Nurse for over 2 decades. Focus of her law practice is product liability and injury law. Law Offices of Lisa Douglas is an Arkansas based firm. We provide free case reviews and consultations for hip replacement patients. Our focus is getting the word out and assisting the metal on metal hip implant victims.

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Law Offices of Lisa Douglas
Lisa Douglas
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http://www.lisagdouglas.com/

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