DePuy Hip Implants Could Lead To A Flood of Lawsuits

The company, DePuy Orthopaedics, recently issued a voluntary recall of its ASR XL Acetabular Hip System and the ASR Hip Resurfacing System. These systems first became available in 2003 but are now being recalled due to the potential side effects that they may produce such as painful dislocation, loosening and fractures in the bone around the implant. It is estimated that 93,000 people worldwide received DePuy hip implants between 2003 and 2010.

According to news reports, numerous residents in the Newport News, Hampton Roads and Virginia Beach areas have complained of negative side effects related to DePuy hip implants. One Suffolk woman had been complaining that the device, which was implanted in her left hip, had been slipping, popping and grinding, sometimes more than 100 times per day, for several years. The pain became so severe that she considered using a wheel chair regularly instead of walking with the implanted hip.

The company recently sent out recall notices to thousands of individuals who had received the hip implants after 2003. One woman had a bone scan and blood tests performed after receiving the recall letter. The results indicated that she had elevated levels of chromium and cobalt in her blood, which may have come from the metal of the hip cup and socket rubbing together.

One interesting fact regarding the DePuy hip implants is that they were not required to undergo clinical safety trials before being approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration for use in patients. Under the "501(k) provision", the FDA allows medical devices that are “substantially” similar to others that are currently on the market to bypass the clinical trial phase of the approval process which investigates the safety and effectiveness of the product. Many patients are now expressing their frustration with the fact that the company did not make sure that the product was safe before putting it out on the market and responding by filing lawsuits against the company.