A hip implant recalled by Johnson & Johnson in 2010 has been estimated to fail within five years in nearly 40 percent of patients who received it, according to an internal analysis by the company.
Hip implants often last for 15 years before they wear out and need to be replaced. The early replacement rate is typically 1 percent after a year, or 5 percent at five years.
The trouble surround the Articular Surface Replacement (A.S.R.), a device in which both cup and ball components are made of metal, represents one of the biggest medical device failures in recent decades. About 93,000 patients worldwide received an A.S.R., about one-third of them in the United States.
Surgeons have largely abandoned using these all-metal devices in standard hip replacements because their components can grind together, releasing metallic debris that damages a patient's tissue and bone.
A forthcoming trial is expected to shed light on what officials of Johnson & Johnson's DePuy Orthopaedics division knew about the device's problem before its recall and the actions they took or did not take. Read the full details here:
Maker Aware of 40% Failure in Hip Implant
Numerous companies fail to self report problems with products and/or drugs they produce and sell to unsuspecting patients until the harm they cause is too late.
If you or someone you love has been injured by a defective product, drug, or malpractice, call the professionals at Crandall & Pera Law for a free consultation.