While the FDA began receiving complaints regarding the failure of hip replacement devices manufactured by DePuy Orthopedics (a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson) for some time, there was not a DePuy hip extensive recall on the device until August of 2010.

July of 2003 saw the worldwide introduction of the metal-on-metal hip replacement by DePuy, although these devices were not used for hip replacement surgeries in the United States until 2005.

Johnson & Johnson, the parent company of DePuy Orthopedics recently took a fourth quarter charge of over $3 billion dollars related primarily to their voluntary recall artificial hip implants—the DePuy ASR Acetabular System and the ASR Hip Resurfacing System.

DePuy hip implants were used widely throughout the world, beginning in 2003, and in the United States from 2005. Although concerns were raised regarding the safety of these hip implant devices, a recall by DePuy was not issued until August of 2010 when DePuy received data from the National Joint Registry showing the five year revision rate for the ASR hip replacement system was approximately 12-13%.

Johnson & Johnson recently reported over $3 billion in quarterly charges. The charges come primarily as the result of legal settlements and other costs associated with products liability issues the company has had and continues to have with some of the devices in its DePuy line of hip replacement implants.