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DePuy Hip Manufacturer

DePuy Orthopedics made headlines recently when, on August 26, 2010, the company announced a full recall of its ASR XL Acetabular Hip Implant. The recall comes nearly a year after the company removed the product from the market and began warning of its failure rate over its 4-year lifespan. 

Today, DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson. Johnson & Johnson is the largest producer of health-related products in the world with revenue of $61.9 billion in 2009 alone.  The DePuy Hip Implant marks the company’s 11th recall since September of 2009.

DePuy Manufacturing was originally founded in 1895 in Warsaw, Indiana by Revra DePuy.  The company started by designing and manufacturing fiber splints that were used to set bone fractures.  DePuy’s fiber splints replaced earlier methods of using wood from barrels.

DePuy was purchased by Johnson & Johnson in 1998 and came to be organized under the Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices & Diagnostics group.  The subsidiary now develops and manufactures medical products under the brand names DePuy Mitek, DePuy Orthopaedics, Codman and DePuy Spine.

DePuy now operates from many different countries besides the United States, including France, Germany, Japan, Ireland, Australia and the United Kingdom.

The company manufactures approximately one-third of all hip implant devices used in hip replacement surgeries in the United States. The ASR XL Hip Implant was used in more than 93,000 patients between 2005 and 2010, generating approximately $5.4 billion in revenue from 2009 alone.

Hip Implant devices are usually designed to last for at least 15 years. Generally, no more than 5% of hip implant patients should need revision surgery within 5 years.  In the case of the DePuy Hip Implant, however, more than 13% of patients so far have required a revision surgery.

The FDA has officially labeled the actions taken by DePuy as a recall of the ASR XL Hip Device.  In addition, the FDA issued warnings to DePuy on August 19, 2010 for two other products including the Corail Hip System.

According to the New York Times, The DePuy ASR Hip Implant was recalled from the Australian market in December of 2009 after the devices high failure rate was documented in the 2008 Australian Registry. 

The device is also under review for recall in the U.K. after a study last year found a marked percentage of patients had suffered reactions to metal debris such as pain and soft tissue damage to the hip area, muscle damage, vision loss and hearing loss.

As part of the recall, DePuy has advised doctors to stop using the device and told patients to see their doctor for symptoms of pain or difficulty walking or standing, which could signify implant failure.

DePuy is also attempting to have each patient sign a release and has indicated it will only pay “reasonable and customary costs of monitoring and treatment” related to the recalled hip implants.  The offer does nothing to compensate patients for the necessity of undergoing a repeat surgery or the pain, suffering, lost wages or time they have experienced.

It is important that patients speak with an attorney before signing the release or making any decisions with regard to their faulty implant.  Signing this release would allow the company to obtain all of the patient’s medical records and require that they turn over the defective hip implant once it is removed, significantly limiting their legal options.

If you or a loved one received a DePuy Hip Implant, it is important to speak with an attorney before taking any action.  Lawyers are currently filing DePuy Lawsuits for the damages suffered by those affected by this defective product.  Contact us today to discuss your legal rights.  Time to file a claim is limited.