Here is an excerpt from the abstract of a 2013 article published in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research by KT Hug et al.: “The Articular Surface Replacement™ (ASR™) metal-on-metal hip arthroplasty system (DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc, Warsaw, IN, USA) reportedly has a higher than anticipated early failure rate leading to a voluntary recall. This prompted us to evaluate all ASR™ components implanted at our center.” (hyperlink added)
This team “reviewed all 172 patients (190 hips) who underwent THA (149 hips) or hip resurfacing (41 hips) with the ASR™ system”, determined the rates of failure for the hips, and determined blood metal ion levels from 93 patients at their most recent follow-up appointment. The Hug et al. team evaluated blood metal ion levels because recent research has shown that tiny pieces of metal debris can wear off the DePuy ASR and other metal-on-metal hip replacements, enter the bloodstream, and cause a variety of problems ranging from kidney and liver damage to severe skin irritation and cancer.
Of the 190 hip replacements performed by this center, 24 – 13% – had required replacement surgery. This is dramatically higher than the figures DePuy reported, which estimated about 1-2% of hip implants would fail and require replacement.
Interestingly, this team proposed in its conclusion that “ Blood metal ion levels and MRI can be used to evaluate patients with underperforming implants”, suggesting that hips that are at risk of failure may disseminate more metal ions into the blood prior to doing so, thus allowing doctors and patients a warning signal.
Due to the fact that research such as this demonstrates rates of DePuy hip replacement failure significantly higher than that reported by the manufacturer, a number of DePuy ASR lawsuits are currently being filed.
If you or a loved one used a DePuy ASR hip replacement and suffered premature device failure or another ASR complication, you may be entitled to significant financial compensation. For a free, no-obligation case consultation, contact our team of DePuy ASR lawyers at the information provided below. We have the compassion, resources, and skills required to win the justice you deserve.
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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.