The ASR hip replacement devices manufactured by DePuy were found out by their recipients to have a shorter than desired lifespan. A series of complaints were reported wevn before their recall. A high percentage failure rate was found from the ASR XL Acetabular System and ASR Hip Resurfacing System that requires 1 out of eight patients to undergo a revision surgery. Health risks are still likely to be present even if you do not require another hip replacement surgical procedure.
In the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS), it was reported that, “[e]arly failure of metal-on-metal hip arthroplasties is a current concern because tissue damage resulting from periprosthetic metallosis can compromise subsequent revision arthroplasty.” In other words, the early failure rate of the ASR devices and the fact that ions from their metal composition damage surrounding bone and tissue make it even harder for surgeons to perform revision surgery.
The metal-on-metal composition of the ASRs have been highly criticized because of their inclination to scrape off particles, mainly cobalt and chromium, from their components and release them into the body damaging bone, tissue and sinew. This could be the reason behind the short lifespan of the devices.
Dr. Stephen S. Tower published the article that indicated two case studies that involved two “fit, well, forty-nine year old men” from the Anchorage Fracture and Orthopedic Clinic and the Alaska WWAMI Biomedical Program. Subsequently, the patients noted that they were experiencing anxiety, headaches, fatigue, vertigo, hearing loss, depression, and cognitive decline. It was also stated in the article that, “Most patients with metal-on-metal implants have higher serum cobalt levels than industrial workers and may be at risk for subclinical cognitive and cardiac impairment.” A noticeable improvement were reported from the two patients after going through the revision surgery.
Cobalt poisoning, or cobaltism, cause tinnitus, vertigo, deafness, blindness, convulsions, headaches, hypothyroidism, and cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disease). Female recipients of metal-on-metal devices have been found to have increased levels of cobalt in their bloodstream and this is turn gets passed on to the babies they give birth to.
You could take all these health dangers into account as you decide to go through with filing a DePuy hip replacement lawsuit against the company. The implications of these recent news would never be bolstered by any costs. But compensation for the financial and non-montetary losses could at least make up for the suffering you had to endure.
