Are Hip Devices Failing Fast?
In most cases, hip replacement can last for about 15-20 years. It will eventually start to wear off and patient may need a revision surgery. But recent reports indicate that metal hip devices are failing earlier than expected. Nearly 1/3 of ASR hip replacements fail in six years, as reported by the National Joint Registry for England and Wales (NJR). Johnson and Johnsons Inc.'s subsidiary company, DePuy Orthopedics, released the ASR hip in 2003.
March of the current year, the British Hip Society had its annual meeting. In their discussion, several doctors from England and Ireland tackled the failure rates of various metal-on-metal hip implants, particularly the DePuy ASR hip. The reported results show that the early failure rate exceeds what was expected: 21% at 4 years and 49% at 6 years. Pain in this group of patients should be taken seriously and investigated appropriately" especially with the results presented. When a hip implant starts to fail, pain can be one of the earliest complaints.
There is a heightened concern about all-metal hip in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration, as reviewed by the New York Times, received greater complaints about MoM hip devices this year than the previous four years combined. FDA has taken steps of asking the manufacturers to study the frequency of hip failure and to examine the health of their patients.
About 2,100 recipients of the DePuy ASR are being tracked by the British Joint Registry. Of those patients in the registry who have received the metal implant 6 years ago [http://www.hiprecalllaw.com/nearly-one-third-of-asr-hip-replacements-fail-in-six-years-british-joint-registry-estimates/], roughly 29% have had it replaced. For patients who received the device 5 years ago, the failure rate is lower at 17% but this may increase over the following years. Even if the patients being followed by the registry are not from the US, doctors and patients still pay close attention to the agency because there is no such registry that exists in the country.
According to the spokesperson of DePuy, the 6-year replacement rate presented by NJR "should be interpreted with caution because it is based on a small number of cases." This will serve as a warning sign to patients who have received the implant and this too can augment their hip concerns.Doctors and patients should carefully consider whether or not to use metal-on-metal hip implants. The DePuy Orthopedics, with the various failure rate reported about their product, has ordered a worldwide DePuy hip recall.
March of the current year, the British Hip Society had its annual meeting. In their discussion, several doctors from England and Ireland tackled the failure rates of various metal-on-metal hip implants, particularly the DePuy ASR hip. The reported results show that the early failure rate exceeds what was expected: 21% at 4 years and 49% at 6 years. Pain in this group of patients should be taken seriously and investigated appropriately" especially with the results presented. When a hip implant starts to fail, pain can be one of the earliest complaints.
There is a heightened concern about all-metal hip in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration, as reviewed by the New York Times, received greater complaints about MoM hip devices this year than the previous four years combined. FDA has taken steps of asking the manufacturers to study the frequency of hip failure and to examine the health of their patients.
About 2,100 recipients of the DePuy ASR are being tracked by the British Joint Registry. Of those patients in the registry who have received the metal implant 6 years ago [http://www.hiprecalllaw.com/nearly-one-third-of-asr-hip-replacements-fail-in-six-years-british-joint-registry-estimates/], roughly 29% have had it replaced. For patients who received the device 5 years ago, the failure rate is lower at 17% but this may increase over the following years. Even if the patients being followed by the registry are not from the US, doctors and patients still pay close attention to the agency because there is no such registry that exists in the country.
According to the spokesperson of DePuy, the 6-year replacement rate presented by NJR "should be interpreted with caution because it is based on a small number of cases." This will serve as a warning sign to patients who have received the implant and this too can augment their hip concerns.Doctors and patients should carefully consider whether or not to use metal-on-metal hip implants. The DePuy Orthopedics, with the various failure rate reported about their product, has ordered a worldwide DePuy hip recall.
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