Defective DePuy implants cause senseless pain and suffering
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She will never do the Charleston again
Spencer was well trained in traditional ball room dancing, but she preferred the Charleston because of its spirited steps. She invested hours perfecting every flail of the arm, kick of the leg and thrust of the hip, but never anticipated that such frenzied movements would eventually cost her so dearly.
Now 75 years old, Spencer mocks the dance moves of her grandchildren, Dan and Sarah.
“You call that dancing? You’re not even moving your feet! When I was your age, everybody was doing the Charleston!”
“Charleston?” asks Sarah. “What’s that?”
Seemingly forgetting her age, Spencer proceeds to demonstrate. She stands, kicks one leg up as high as she can, loses her balance and falls hard onto the concrete. In excruciating pain, Spencer is rushed to the hospital. X- Rays of her pelvic region reveal that her right femoral head, the region of the thigh bone that fits into the acetabulum, is badly damaged. The severity of the injury, coupled with Spencer’s advanced age, will require hip replacement surgery.
Spencer is devastated. But her problems have only just begun.
Following her hip surgery, Spencer knows that she will never be able to do the Charleston again, but she wants to be able to return to some semblance of normality as soon as possible. She hopes that her post- surgical pains will dissipate with time, but they only get worse. This may be the result of one of the following complications:
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Loosening: When the implant does not stay attached to the bone in the correct position.
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Fracture: When the bone around the implant may have broken.
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Dislocation: When the new femoral head and the acetabulum are no longer aligned.
Spencer is only one of the many people needlessly suffering from one of the hip implants produced by DePuy Orthopaedics.
The DePuy hip implant controversy
On its web page, DePuy states that its implants are “designed to restore motion and reduce pain.” (DePuy) Unfortunately for some people, the implants did the antithesis, which prompted the global recall of two DePuy devices on August 26th, 2010:
ASR XL Acetabular System: The ASR XL total hip replacement system made its debut in 2004. Tthe femoral stem prosthesis is inserted inside of the femur, the femoral head (or ball) connects to the stem and then fits inside the acetabulum”. (DePuy) The ASR XL device “is part of a class of large diameter, monoblock hip resurfacing and replacement devices that are often selected by surgeons for younger patients, who may benefit from a more stable device that can reduce the changes of dislocation after surgery.” (DePuy)
ASR Hip Resurfacing System: The ASR Hip Resurfacing System debuted in 2003. With this system,” a cap is placed over the natural femoral head, and the acetabulum is replaced with the one piece cup.” (DePuy)
Prior to the recall, DePuy sold approximately “93,000 units” (CNNMoney.com) of the ASR XL Acetabular and ASR Hip Resurfacing systems. Formerly unpublished data from the National Joint Registry of England and Wales, “showed a five year revision rate of approximately 12% for the ASR Hip Resurfacing System and approximately 13% for the ASR XL Acetabular System.” (DePuy) These are worldwide statistics.
Of the recall, DePuy president David Floyd issued this statement:
“We regret that this recall will be concerning for patients, their family members and surgeons. We are committed to assisting patients and health care providers by providing information through multiple channels and paying for the cost of doctors’ visits, tests and procedures associated with the recall.” (DePuy)
For more information on the different types of hip implants, please see our hip implant types page.
FDA issues stern warning to DePuy
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sharply chastized the company for selling their TruMatch Personalized Solutions Systems (artificial knee products), and their Corail Hip System devices. Because these products were not approved by the FDA, they were “in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.” (CNN.com)
Has a defective DePuy hip implant caused you unnecessary pain and suffering? Reach out to Weitz and Luxenberg
We at Weitz & Luxenberg understand that hip surgery, much like any kind of surgery, is an unpleasant and financially draining experience. It is even more unpleasant when a person has to undergo the same surgery a second time, due to no fault of their own.
If you have any questions regarding the DePuy hip implant recall, please do not hesitate to contact Weitz & Luxenberg. We are ready, willing and able to address your concerns.
Acknowledgments:
DePuy: www.depuy.com
CNN: www. CNNMoney.com
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