The attorneys of The Ferraro Law Firm take great pride in representing everyday people whose lives have been affected by defective medical devices. We have earned an enviable reputation nationwide because we have proved we can fight and consistently win against negligent companies, no matter how big they are.

The DePuy hip recall of the ASR hip implant was announced by DePuy Orthopedics Inc., a division of Johnson and Johnson, on August 26, 2010. The hip recall by DePuy of its ASR hip implant comes after the device was marketed for approximately six years between 2003 and 2010. This hip recall affects two products by DePuy, namely, the ASR Hip Resurfacing System and the ASR XL Acetabular System. The ASR hip replacement is a metal-on-metal device with a design flaw that has resulted in many patients needing follow-up hip revision surgery to replace the device. This means that affected patients will undergo a painful and unnecessary hip revision surgery. Patients would not be facing this problem if not for the defective DePuy hip.

Prior to the DePuy hip recall for the ASR hip systems, published articles detailed the design problems with the device. Hundreds of Adverse Event Reports to the FDA in the United States confirmed what the studies showed. DePuy statistics show that approximately 12% of patients who had received the ASR resurfacing device and 13% of patients who had received the ASR total hip replacement needed to have a revision surgery.

The DePuy metal-on-metal implant has a design flaw that makes it difficult to implant properly, specifically the component has a narrow window for proper placement. Also, the design of the ASR cup is shallower than some similar devices. The DePuy ASR revisions are necessary because the device is defectively designed and manufactured so that high levels of metal debris are generated during regular wear and tear, which can negatively impact soft tissue and evolve into a health issue for some patients. Some patients who were implanted with the DePuy ASR have developed ALVAL (aseptic lymphocyte dominated vasculitis associated lesion), which is an adverse tissue reaction to metal particles and ions, and pseudotumor (a soft tissue mass that may be the result of a toxic reaction to an excess of particulate metal wear debris). This may happen shortly after the DePuy ASR hip replacement is implanted in the patient, or it may take years to occur.

Hiring a lawyer is an important decision. If you or a loved one has been implanted with a Depuy ASR hip, contact the lawyers at the Ferraro Law Firm about your case.