Released: September 20, 2011
It turns out that of all metal-on-metal hip implants, the ASR implant made by Johnson & Johnson’s DePuy Orthopedics has a 29 percent failure rate – after six years of use inside patients – compared to the 9.5 percent failure rate for all metal-on-metal hip implant devices.
In its annual report for 2011, the National Joint Registry in the United Kingdom writes, “There appears to be a sharp increase in the risk of revision at around six years after primary surgery for the metal-on-metal group, although more data is needed to confirm this finding.”
Whether or not the finding is confirmed – suppose, for example, that it’s not a 29 percent failure rate but a 20 or 15 percent failure rate – the “sharp increase” suggests there’s a serious problem with DePuy’s hip implant compared to other devices.
A large part of the Joint Registry’s mission is to “isolate any implants showing high failure rates so as to allow their prompt removal from the market if necessary.”
Meanwhile, the DePuy defective hip lawsuit law firm of Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger continues to bring cases against DePuy for compensation on behalf of injured patients in the U.S.
Any patients who had a DePuy ASR hip replacement should talk to an attorney about symptoms they may be experiencing, which can include pain and swelling in the hip, leg, groin, or lower back, as well as difficulty walking.
Call (415) 981-7210 to speak with Walkup Law Firm partners Matthew D. Davis and Michael A. Kelly about your case.
