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Hip Replacement Recall:
DePuy ASR XL Acetabular System Lawsuit

In the video below, Attorney Fred Pritzker discusses the Depuy hip replacement recall.

Our attorneys are representing several people who had a defective DePuy ASR™ XL Acetabular System implanted in their bodies. Several had or are scheduled to have revision surgery. To contact our product liability attorneys, please call 1-888-377-8900 (this is a toll free number) or submit our online form for a free consultation.

Hip Replacement Recall Announcement

In August or September of 2010, you may have received notice from your surgeon or hospital that the DePuy ASR™ XL Acetabular System implanted in your body during hip replacement surgery has been recalled by DePuy Orthopaedics, a company owned by Johnson & Johnson. Read the DePuy recall information for patients.

New data shows that five years after implantation, approximately 13% of patients (1 in 8) who had received the ASR total hip replacement needed to have a revision surgery.

This DePuy hip replacement recall means additional testing and monitoring will be necessary to ensure your hip implant is functioning well. You may need additional surgery.

Symptoms You Should Watch For

Common symptoms indicating the need for revision surgury include the following:

pain
swelling
problems walking.

These symptoms are a sign that there may be a problem such as:

Loosening, when the implant does not stay attached to the bone in the right position
Fracture, where the bone around the implant may have broken; and
Dislocation where the two parts of the implant that move against each other are no longer aligned.

What May Have Happened (or be Happening) to Your Hip Implant

Your hip implant is made up of ball and socket components that move against each other. These components are made of metal that wears over time and generates very small particles that can only be seen with a microscope. A small number of patients may react to these particles, causing fluid to collect in the joint and in the muscles around the joint. While this condition may initially be painless, if left untreated, this reaction may cause pain and swelling around the joint and could cause permanent damage to the muscles, bones, and nerves around the hip.

To determine if there is a problem with your total hip replacement, a number of tests may have to be done. Below are the instructions your surgeon received from DePuy Orthopaedics:

Patients who received the ASR System should be instructed to return to your office for a follow up visit including clinical assessment and radiographic evaluation. If any radiographic change is indicative of product failure, the patient should be treated as per your discretion.

If you or your patient is concerned about the hip, blood testing for cobalt and chromium ion levels in whole blood may be performed as part of the follow up, and/or an MRI or ultrasound if necessary as per the guidelines and schedule below.

1. An initial blood test should be performed. Cobalt and chromium ion levels should be 7 parts per billion (ppb) or below. If the patient is having symptoms, an MRI or ultrasound should also be considered at this time.

2. If either metal ion concentration is above 7 parts per billion (ppb), a second blood metal ion test (both cobalt and chromium) should be performed three months after the first if no symptoms are present.

3. If the metal ion concentration is again above 7ppb, the surgeon should consider MRI or ultrasound, even if the patient does not have symptoms.

4. If MRI or ultrasound scan reveals soft tissue reactions, fluid collections or tissue masses, then revision surgery should be considered.

5. If metal ions are less than 7ppb and/or MRI or ultrasound are within normal values, patients should be evaluated on an annual basis for the first five years. These evaluations should be conducted according to your normal procedures.

6. If you or your patient continues to be concerned about the hip, metal ion testing may be conducted on an annual basis at your discretion.

Our lawyers have recovered over 20 million dollars for people injured by defective medical products and the families of people whose deaths were associated with defective products. To contact Pritzker Olsen law firm, please call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our online form for a free consultation. You will not have to pay any up-front fees, and we are not paid unless you win. Read more about defective medical devices.

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