Faulty medical devices can cause serious problems for persons receiving those devices. Complaints are surfacing about DePuy ASR hip replacement systems. DePuy Orthopaedics, an Indiana-based orthopedics division of Johnson & Johnson, recently announced that it was withdrawing its ASR hip implant from the market after reports about the device failing soon after implantation. The FDA says it has received about 300 complaints since 2008 regarding the DePuy implant; most of the complaints were from patients who had to have their hip implant replaced, according to The New York Times.

Indications are that DePuy’s ASR system – a metal-on-metal hip replacement device – has a high failure rate similar to several other hip prosthetics. Zimmer Inc. and Stryker Corp., medical device manufacturers, manufacture and supply hip replacement components. They have never had problems with their devices.

While the devices have caused different problems, they all arise from either design or manufacturing defects. Historically, the success rate for hip replacements is very high, even with the elderly. When doctors see a high number of patients who are not recovering after the surgery, it seems clear that there are problems with the device. If you want more information on medical device litigation, you can contact Navan Ward in our firm at 800-898-2034 or by email at Navan.Ward@beasleyallen.com.