DePuy ASR Hip Implant Failure Symptoms

HOUSTON—In late August 2010, DePuy Orthopedics, Inc., a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, announced a voluntary recall of two of its metal-on-metal hip replacement devices — the ASR Hip Resurfacing System and the ASR XL Acetabular System. The recall was issued after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received upwards of 500 patient complaints about early system failure, and a British study confirmed that nearly 12 percent of those who received the implants required corrective procedures, called revision surgeries, within five years.

If you or a loved one are among the 93,000 people worldwide who received the ASR Hip Resurfacing System or ASR XL Acetabular System, there are some important details that you should be aware of.

While it is normal to experience pain immediately following a metal-on-metal hip replacement surgery, if the pain persists or returns after a period of time, it may be a sign that the implant has failed. Patients who have received faulty ASR hip implants have reported symptoms such as:

• Swelling or pain in the effected hip or surrounding areas
• Difficulty walking or pain in the hip when doing so
• Grinding or popping noises originating in the hip area
• Inflammation or infection in the affected hip
• Dislocation or improper positioning of the implant

DePuy implant patients who experience one or more of these symptoms are encouraged to consult their doctor immediately, as a revision surgery may be required or advisable. Symptoms can be caused by several problems, including:

• Loosening of the implant when the device is not attached in the correct position to the bone
• Dislocation of the implant components
• Bone fractures at the hip
• Metal poisoning, or metallosis, which is a reaction to the metal debris that is shed when components of the device rub together

The known risks of failure of DePuy ASR hip implant devices are clear and substantial. All patients should consult their physicians about regular monitoring in order to detect potential problems before at the earliest possible time.