Hip replacement surgeries are often performed on patients suffering from a damaged hip joint. The hip joint is a ball and socket joint, which can cause some issues when designing prosthetics. Ball and socket joints include a bearing, which is a relatively delicate system that often wears down over time. For a long time, the socket of hip prosthetics was made of a medical grade plastic. Recently, however, doctors have been using metal-on-metal bearings. These models are stronger, but can also be problematic. When the metal-on-metal design wears down, it can release metallic debris in the body.
One study on the adverse reactions in periprosthetic tissues of hips, using metal-on-metal surfaces was conducted by DJ Langton et al. The study is titled “Incidence of Adverse Reactions to Metal Debris Following Hip Resurfacing Arthroplasty: A Multicentre Study Involving 4,000 Patients,” and was published in the Journal of Biomechanics in 2010. The study was conducted to “establish the incidence of and identify risk factors for the development of joint failure secondary to adverse reaction to metal debris.”
The study included 4,201 patients, with follow-ups ranging from 10-142 months. Among these patients, there were 51 failures secondary to reactions from metal debris. In these cases, chromium and cobalt concentrations were significantly higher than other patients.
Increased wear of the metal-on-metal device was in fact associated with adverse tissue reactions. The authors stated “We believe the sub hemispheric cup of the ASR predisposes it to increased articular wear and this was reflected in the increased failure rates.” Additionally, the data showed that some patients are more sensitive to relatively low levels of metal debris. This is quite rare, and was only observed in less than 1% of the patients included in the data set of the study.
Due to the fact that DePuy, the manufacturer of the ASR had time and again failed to warn users of the risk for metal debris entering the bloodstream that is associated with the ASR/ASRXL hip replacement systems, a number of ASR lawsuits have been filed.
If you or a loved one used an ASR hip replacement system and you suffered metal sensitivity, increased metal ion blood levels, premature device failure, or another ASR complication, contact our team of DePuy ASR hip replacement lawyers at the information provided below: you may be entitled to significant financial compensation. We have the experience, resources, and skills required to win the justice you deserve.
(855) 452 – 5529
Our DePuy ASR™ / ASR™ XL Hip Replacement Lawsuit Information page is a great place to start if you have any questions about DePuy ASR metal-on-metal hip replacements.