Hip Replacements

Recall of the DePuy ASR XL Acetabular Hip Implant System and ASR Resurfacing System

DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, has recalled the DePuy ASR® XL Acetabular Hip Implant System and ASR Resurfacing System due to an unexpected number of patients for whom the implant is failing. Though the DePuy ASR® XL Acetabular Hip Implant System and ASR Resurfacing System were designed and marketed to last 15 years or more, failures have been reported after only a few years. According to the manufacturer of the DePuy ASR® XL Acetabular Hip Implant System and ASR Resurfacing System, failure rates for women and for patients with femoral heads (the "ball of the implant) are much greater than expected.

Signs of implant failure include groin pain, difficulty walking, swelling and/or constant discomfort. In cases where there are no physical signs of failure, surgeons may order blood tests to measure the levels of chromium and cobalt in a patient's blood. Abnormally high levels of chromium and/or cobalt suggest that metals from the DePuy ASR® XL Acetabular Hip Implant System have escaped into the patient's body.

Numerous reports of implant failures raised concern about the DePuy ASR® XL Acetabular Hip Implant System and ASR Resurfacing System. In some cases where the devices were removed, surgeons reported finding metallic debris in and around the failed implant. Blood tests revealed elevated levels of cobalt and chromium in some patients whose DePuy ASR® XL Acetabular Hip Implant System or ASR Resurfacing System was failing. Due to the unexpectedly high failure rate of the DePuy ASR® XL Acetabular Hip Implant System and ASR Resurfacing System, the implant and system were recalled in August 2010.