DePuy Orthopaedics faces a new metal hip replacement lawsuit from a Colorado woman alleging serious injuries.

Plaintiff Joanne S. claimed she developed a series of hip replacement complications after having the ASR metal on metal hip replacement implanted on April 28, 2008.

According to her metal hip replacement lawsuit, she opted to have the ASR device after viewing DePuy’s advertisements.

Instead, Joanne suffered numerous hip replacement complications, none of which were mentioned on the product’s warning label.

The injuries listed on her metal hip replacement lawsuit included metallosis, right hip cracking sensation, fatigue, pelvic fractures, bone loss and osteoporosis.

These hip replacement complications eventually led to the device being explanted on December 8, 2015, with Joanne still contending with the long term problems. She is one of numerous patients who opted for the DePuy metal on metal hip replacement for its marketed durability and longevity.

Since metal hip implants were first brought to market, they have been toted as superior to ceramic or plastic models for being able to take physically demanding movements and lasting longer than the other options.

In addition, manufacturing companies also advertised all metal hip implants to be customizable for patients.

Overview of Hip Replacement Complications

Manufacturing companies, including DePuy, have capitalized on the growing popularity of metal on metal hip replacement devices.

However, a number of patients have reported metal hip replacement complications soon after implant surgery. One of the most significant injuries reported in association with metal on metal hip replacements is metallosis, or blood metal poisoning.

Like most other metal hip replacement complications, metallosis is caused when the ball and socket joint interacts in the replacement device and metal ions are shed in the blood. The metal ions can cause blood poisoning, infection, corrosion, the formation of pseudotumors and other hip replacement complications.

It is important to note that most metal on metal hip replacements were approved under the FDA’s 510(k) process, which does not require extensive pre clinical trials. As long as the device proves to work as well as a similar equivalent product already released on the market, the agency will grant approval.

Many patients allege certain metal hip replacements went to market too quickly, and there had not been sufficient information available regarding its side effects. Joanne and many other patients had to undergo revision hip replacement surgery to correct these unexpected problems.

Revision surgery is more risky than the initial implant procedure.

Joanne is filing her metal hip replacement lawsuit in a multidistrict litigation (MDL), where it will stand with other claims alleging similar injuries against DePuy including being responsible for manufacturing, selling, distributing and marketing a dangerous product, as well as failing to warn her and other patients against hip replacement complications.

The Depuy ASR Metal Hip Replacement Lawsuit is In Re: DePuy Orthopeadics ASR Hip Implant, Case No. 1:10-md-2197, in the U.S. District Court of Northern Ohio, Western Division.