DePuy Canada

DePuy Orthopaedics has recalled the DePuy ASR following hundreds of complaints from people undergoing DePuy hip replacement. The Hip Replacement Recall in Canada includes the DePuy ASR XL Acetabular System and the DePuy ASR Hip Resurfacing System. The ASR is considered by many orthopedic experts to be a defective product and a class action DePuy Lawsuit has been filed in Canada.

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and DePuy Orthopaedics, a unit of J&J, recently recalled (March 2010) the Depuy ASR hip replacement, a metal-on-metal device believed to have a design flaw that has resulted in many patients needing follow-up hip revision surgery to replace the device soon after implant.

Both versions of the ASR--the DePuy ASR XL Acetabular System and the DePuy ASR Hip Resurfacing System—have the same common component, a 'cup', which is part of the joint that replaces a patient's hip socket. Experts claim that the ASR cup's design is defective. (The design of the ASR cup is shallower than some similar devices.)

In 2005 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the DePuy ASR XL Acetabular System for use in traditional hip replacement, but the medical device was not required to undergo clinical trials. The FDA has recently proposed rules that could require implanted devices like artificial hips to undergo more thorough testing before they were approved for sale, but even if these rules are adopted, they come too late for many DePuy hip replacement victims.

Since 2008 hundreds of complaints have been reported to the FDA in the US—many of these reports include a vast majority of patients who underwent another operation to have the device replaced soon after getting the DePuy implant. Health Canada received a number of complaints regarding the devices from patients or their doctors about the early failure of the device, requiring costly and painful replacement operations.

J&J and Depuy allegedly have known for the past two years that their ASR cup might be more of a challenge to implant properly than competing cups. Instead of voluntarily issuing a recall, the drug manufacturer blamed their product on the surgeons performing the implants.

An estimated 4,000 Canadians will be affected by the DePuy recall. (Health Canada will be monitoring the Canada DePuy recall.) Legal experts believe that most people don't complain to Health Canada; nor do many doctors and hospitals file reports with the FDA, so this indicates that the problem is much larger. It is estimated that 93,000 people worldwide are potentially affected by the recall. Most at risk are patients of small stature—particularly women, and patients with weak bones.

The DePuy implants apparently generate large amounts of metallic debris as they wear, and this debris causes severe inflammatory responses in some patients. Muscles and other soft tissues can be damaged, requiring another surgery to replace the hip replacement device soon after implant. Generally, hip replacements are supposed to last 15 years or more.

DePuy Adverse Health Events

Besides problems such as pain, swelling and problems walking, other symptoms that may indicate a serious problem with your hip replacement parts include:

• Loosening – when the implant does not stay attached to the bone in the correct position;
• Fracture – where the bone around the implant may have broken;
• Dislocation – where the two parts of the implant that move against each other are no longer aligned; and
• Metal debris – where metal particles from the component parts moving together spread around the hip area.

A faulty hip cup can cause "edge-loading" which means that the joint's ball rubs against the cup's edge, chiseling off debris. Because the ASR's constituent metals are cobalt and cadmium, tests of patients with the improperly positioned device showed elevated levels of cobalt and chromium ions in their blood.

This poses a serious medical question about the long-term impact of DePuy ASR metal-on-metal implants and the effects of what the doctors refer to as 'metalosis', a nonsuppurative osteomyelitis that occurs around metal implants as a result of corrosion or hypersensitivity reaction, which is often misinterpreted as a low grade infection. Metalosis is believed to occur in DePuy hip patients due to high levels of cobalt and cadmium in the blood as a result of the wear and tear in these joints.

Canada Depuy Class Action Lawsuit

On December 3, 2010 the Toronto law firm of Stevensons LLP filed a national class action on behalf of persons in Canada who have had a DePuy hip device implanted.

In The New York Times (Mar 10,2010), a spokesperson for DePuy issued a statement: "DePuy remains committed to covering reasonable and customary costs of testing and treatment for patients who need services, including revision surgery if it is necessary, associated with the ASR recall."

If you have either one of these recalled implants, contact your orthopedic surgeon and register with the law firm, even if you don't have any symptoms. If the defective device is taken out, DePuy is trying to get the part sent to them. Instead, Canadian lawyers advise you to keep the part of the removed implant; they we will store it and have it tested by their expert. As well, a lawyer can deal with the surgeon to ensure that will happen.

Depuy ASR hip replacement patients may be eligible for compensation due to the injuries they have suffered as a result of being implanted with the defective device. Past and future pain, suffering, medical bills, lost earnings, and disfigurement are among the damages that the patients may be entitled to recover.

If you live in the United States and suffered as a result of a faulty DePuy hip replacement, please go to this page: [DePuy Hip Replacement]

DePuy Canada Legal Help

If you or a loved one has suffered damages in this case, please click the link below and your complaint will be sent to a lawyer who may evaluate your claim at no cost or obligation.

Last updated on Apr-4-11