DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc., a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, has announced the recall of two DePuy ASR hip implants after a large number of reported hip failures and revision surgeries. Approximately 93,000 DePuy ASR XL Acetabular System implants and Depuy ASR Hip Resurfacing System implants are included in the recall. These implants have a high failure rate, requiring many patients to undergo revision surgery for a second hip replacement procedure. The risk of DePuy hip problems was especially high in women and those with implant heads below 50 mm. Adverse event reports increased dramatically between 2006 and 2009, with nearly 100 reports in 2007, over 200 in 2008 and over 300 in 2009. According to reports, in most cases, the DePuy ASR complications involve situations where individuals require additional surgery to replace the defective hip implants.
Individuals who have received the DePuy ASR hip implant should contact their orthopedic surgeon for an evaluation of the implant.
Several lawsuits across the country have been filed in both state and federal courts regarding the DePuy ASR implants and a motion has been filed to centralize the cases in a federal multi-district (MDL) proceeding. A ruling on the motion to centralize the cases in an MDL should be determined by the end of the year.
