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Today’s topic relates to the ASR hip replacement device and the events that led up to the voluntary
recall in the United States on August 24th, 2010. Hi. I’m Scott Harford. I’m a trial
attorney at the law firm Lynch Daskal Emery in New York City. I want to start by explaining
to you what exactly is this DePuy hip replacement device? Well, it’s a medical device manufactured
by DePuy Orthopedics. Now they’re a division of Johnson & Johnson. Here’s how it works.
I’m showing you the anatomy of a hip. You see here that there is a femoral head and
a femoral stem. The hip device actually replaces the femoral head with a cup and a ball, and
connects the ball through a femoral stem that is implanted as well. It was introduced in
the United States first in August of 2005 through an actual abbreviated introduction
through the FDA, called a five 10k process. The actual flaws though with the product appeared
very shortly thereafter. In August 2010, the Australian Joint Registry came out with reports
of higher than expected failure rates on this product, related to the actual device was
loosening in the body causing bone fractures. And there was also something called “metallosis”
and that’s when the wear and corrosion between that ball and stem were actual metal ions
are placed into the bloodstream of a patient. Faced with these escalating flaws, in December
of 2009, Australia actually recalled the product entirely off the market. However, it continued
to be marketed in the United States. In March of 2010, an urgent field notice was actually
sent out by DePuy and Johnson & Johnson warning surgeons – again – of higher than expected
failure rates of this product. Finally, in the summer of 2010, the Joint Registry of
England and Wales came forward with a study that actually showed 1 out of every 8 patients
that had this product implanted had a failure and had to have the product removed. Now that’s
12 to 13% of everyone using that implant. Finally, in August of 2010, the product was
voluntarily recalled in the United States. I represent individuals that have been harmed
by medical devices every day. If you’ve had an ASR hip device implanted or removed,
call. I’m here to help you. 1-800-585-1190. I’m Scott Harford. Thanks for joining me.