Many patients who undergo hip replacement surgery are implanted with a DePuy metal hip implant. However, in recent years, the DePuy products have been under fire as patients have been reporting complications.

In fact, over 50,000 Americans have had surgeries to replace their hip joints and many of these patients have received a metal-on-metal hip implant like the DePuy metal hip implant.

Originally it was thought that metal-on-metal hip implants would last longer and be more durable than previous models.

However, the DePuy ASR model was recalled in 2010 due to problems that later resulted in hundreds of hip implant lawsuits against DePuy and its parent company Johnson & Johnson.

There are many complications that can develop after implantation of a DePuy metal hip implant. In a metal-on-metal hip implant, the metal ball and the metal cup slide against each other when the patient moves his or her hip through walking or running.

Tiny pieces of metal can be released into the patient’s body when the metal parts rub on each other. Metal ions, cobalt and chromium notably, enter the surrounding tissue or the bloodstream.

The FDA reports that different people react differently to this metal particle shedding. Over time, it can cause damage to bone and tissue surrounding the DePuy metal hip implant.

This can lead to soft tissue damage, pain, implant loosening, device failure, and the need for revision surgery and is known as an adverse local tissue reaction, or ALTR.

Patients with a DePuy metal hip implant or other metal-on-metal hip implant systems have reportedly suffered the following complications:

• Increased risk of cancer because of toxic substances from the metal hip implant
• Cardiomyopathy
• Pain, swelling, inflammation or discomfort at implant site
• Non-cancerous tumors
• Premature failure of the device requiring revision surgery
• Leaking of chromium and cobalt into the bloodstream
• Bone fractures
• Metallosis (metal poisoning)

In August 2010, the FDA made known a voluntary recall of 93,000 DePuy ASR hip replacement implants in part because of a high instance of revision surgery. One report found that 13% of patients with a DePuy ASR implant needed hip revision surgery.

All in all, Johnson & Johnson is up against nearly 8,000 lawsuits concerning the DePuy metal hip implant systems including the ASR hip implant as well as the Pinnacle hip implant system.

Some settlements have already been reached regarding the DePuy ASR metal-on-metal hip implant system, including one that affects those who underwent hip revision surgery after March 2015.

If you or someone you love has a DePuy metal hip implant and has suffered complications, you may be entitled to legal compensation and you may benefit from discussing your options with an attorney.