DePuy Hip Replacements

The Nature of the Device: The joint connecting the hip to the leg undergoes tremendous stress during a person’s lifetime due to everyday activities. Therefore both normal aging or a specific accident, can damage a person’s hip so that she requires a replacement. Several companies have made artificial hip joints out of a variety of materials—ceramics, metals, plastics—but metal-on-metal hip prostheses are common, and have caused health problems.

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The Hazards of a Hip Replacement: DePuy Orthopaedics, a division of Johnson & Johnson, manufactures popular hip replacements. Two of its products, however, have harmed many people. The ASR XL Asetabular metal-on-metal hip replacement, introduced in the 2005, generated so many complaints that DePuy voluntarily recalled it in 2010. DePuy’s Pinnacle hip replacement, introduced in 2001, drew complaints similar to those made about the ASR. DePuy has not recalled the Pinnacle, but it has stopped selling the product.
All hip replacements carry potential risks, including damage to surrounding bones and soft tissue, severe inflammation, toxicity from metal shavings being released into the bloodstream, and infections. A defective implant can lead to permanent injury or require additional surgery.
The ASR and Pinnacle implants were blamed for many painful symptoms, including elevated cobalt and chromium in the blood, cysts, fluid buildup, tissue damage, and bone damage. Some victims underwent additional surgery to remove the defective implant.

Victims of the ASR and Pinnacle and victims of similar metal-on-metal hip implants, brought thousands of lawsuits against DePuy and other manufacturers. Many of the cases have been settled or tried to a verdict; but new ones are still being filed.
To Obtain Legal Relief: Those who have been injured by a DePuy hip implant or by another metal-on-metal hip implant, may have valuable legal rights. Attorney Stephen A. Katz is available at (800) 251-3529 for a free consultation, or for legal representation.