In August of 2010, the company DePuy Orthopedics, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, issued a recall of 93,000 DePuy hip replacement systems. Studies of the recalled systems indicated unacceptably high failure rates of 12% for the ASR Hip Resurfacing System and 13% for the ASR XL Acetabular system. Unfortunately, this recall affects thousands of individual patients who have already undergone hip replacement surgeries and were recipients of the DePuy products.
Individuals who received one of the DePuy implants, which were approved for use in 2005, may experience a number of problems if the implant begins to fail. For example, the metal-on-metal bearings used in the implant, simply as a result of normal movement, can produce a type of ‘debris’ that can lead to tissue damage and inflammation, causing the patient to experience pain and swelling. In addition, patients who have received the recalled implants have also experienced problems walking, a loose or detached implant, and even fractures in the bone surrounding the device. In many cases, the only solution to these issues is for the patient to undergo a revision surgery to replace the faulty implant.
If you or a loved one have undergone hip replacement, you know first-hand how difficult of an experience it can be in trying to regain mobility and once again participate in an active lifestyle. Now, those difficulties are being multiplied as a result of a defective medical implant device. Recipients of the faulty hip replacement system like Anthony Taflambas of Virginia (VA) understand all too well the frustration of months and months of pain following hip replacement only to find out that they received a faulty implant. Unfortunately, for thousands of people, the failure of DePuy to produce a safe and reliable hip replacement system means experiencing additional pain and suffering, and prolonging full recovery even more. While nothing can fully compensate for this suffering, fortunately, patients should know that there may be legal recourse against DePuy and are encouraged to contact an attorney to discuss your options.
About the Editors: The Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton personal injury law firm, which has offices in Virginia (VA) and North Carolina (NC), edits the injury law blogs Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard as pro bono services.
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