Recent injury reports in the orthopedic community indicate patients who opted to have a DePuy ASR hip replacement implanted have experienced serious complications. Even though the ASR hip replacement is meant to help patients recover and return to normalcy, patients have reported suffering serious injuries and needing a revision surgery.

The DePuy ASR hip replacement has been at the center of medical concern for the past several years, with Johnson & Johnson initiating a recall in August 2010. The FDA had announced the voluntary DePuy ASR hip replacement recall after reviewing data from the United Kingdom that found a troubling statisic.

According to the UK joint registry, 13% of DePuy ASR hip replacement patients had to undergo revision surgery due to debilitating injuries allegedly caused by the all-metal hip implant. Among the injuries reported in association with the DePuy ASR hip replacement included debilitating pain to life-threatening complications like blood metal poisoning.

The majority of complications associated with metal on metal hip complications stems from the ball and socket components of the device, which shed metal ions into the blood stream when they interact.

Overview of DePuy ASR Hip Replacement Complications

The DePuy ASR hip replacement is a metal on metal hip implant, which is implanted into patients who have lost mobility due to a damaged hip joint. When metal on metal hip implants were first released into the United States, they were thought to be overtly superior to their plastic and ceramic counterparts.

These types of hip implants  were advertised to be longer lasting than other hip implant options, and were customizable to patients. In addition, metal on metal hip implants were popular among younger patients, as they could withstand harsher physical movements like running or other forms of exercise.

With all these benefits, it is easy to understand why metal on metal hip implants gained popularity. However, soon after metal on metal hip implants were released, the injury reports began flooding into the manufacturing companies and the FDA.

It is important to note that many of the metal on metal hip implants were approved by the FDA 510(k) policy, which allows for products to be released into the market without thorough premarket evaluation. Products can qualify for this provision as long as they proven to work on at least an equivalent level with a similar product already on the market.

Even though Johnson & Johnson and other manufacturing companies had reportedly been aware of the risks the metal hip implants posed to patients, the companies had allegedly failed to warn the public. Patients who had a DePuy ASR hip replacement implemented and suffered injuries may be able to file legal action against Johnson & Johnson.

According to legal experts involved in ASR hip replacement lawsuits, any patients who had to undergo hip revision surgery since March 2015 may be eligible for compensation.