DePuy’s ASR Recall Forms Foundation For Potential DePuy Pinnacle Recall
During the fall of 2010, DePuy’s hip replacement systems made news when a recall was issued for the malfunctioning ASR device due to its tendency to fail prematurely. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also received over 1,300 complaints associated with the Pinnacle hip replacement with the majority of these focusing on the premature loosening of the device from the bone, which leads to device failure. To date, a DePuy Pinnacle recall has not been implemented despite the growing number of problems associated with the device. Recently, a product liability lawsuit was filed against DePuy claiming that a Pinnacle recall should have been implemented as early as 2003.
The ASR and Pinnacle systems are both metal-on-metal hip replacement devices. Both the recently recalled ASR XL Acetabular System and the ASR Hip Resurfacing System were not required to go through pre-market testing because of their substantial equivalence to the DePuy Pinnacle hip replacement system. Because they are equipped with a metal liner, they differ from typical hip replacement systems that involve a synthetic plastic liner inside the socket part of the synthetic joint instead. Metal hip replacements are also supposed to last longer, and are ideal for younger patients wanting to maintain an active lifestyle after hip replacement surgery.
The New York Times reported that metal-on-metal devices like the ASR and Pinnacle systems carried the risk of metal toxicity in patients. With the metal components undergoing constant friction, metal particles are then released into the bloodstream and surrounding tissue causing debilitating pain and other harmful side effects.
The most recent studies have claimed that the failure rates in these defective devices are worse than originally indicated. There are two major orthopedic organizations in the United Kingdom claiming that out of the 93,000 people that have received DePuy implants, half of these implants will fail after only 6 years. Thousands of lives around the world could be affected. Due to the similarities to the ASR hip replacement system, it is only a matter of time until a DePuy Pinnacle recall will be initiated.
In previous lawsuits, DePuy has allocated as much as $1 billion for those harmed by their defective hip replacements.If you have been harmed by a defective hip replacement, go after the compensation you are entitled to. Start by going to the DePuy Pinnacle recall website to have your case evaluated by an experienced attorney free of charge.
