Court Hears ASR Hip Implant Risks Inadequately Assessed

An internal review by Johnson & Johnson (J&J) after its recall of the DePuy ASR hip implant system found the potential risks posed by the device were assessed inadequately prior to its use in patients, according to testimony in a case being tried in Los Angeles Superior Court.

The 2010 engineering report also found that J&J’s DePuy orthopedic unit had not used correct standards in assessing some of the risks before the metal-on-metal hip implant was marketed in 2003, reports The New York Times.

In videotaped testimony a DePuy compliance manager was asked about the report and said that it suggested that company officials “had not used appropriate engineering controls to try to anticipate the device’s problems,” wrote the Times. In separate testimony, a DePuy engineer said that prior to sales of the ASR, the company tested just one angle of implantation for the device in the lab.

A DePuy spokesperson told the newspaper that it believes the evidence in the case will show that it responded appropriately. The case being heard is one of around 10,000 lawsuits filed against the company.

J&J’s DePuy unit recalled the ASR Hip Resurfacing System as well as the ASR XL Acetabular System after several clinical studies revealed high failure rates and adverse reaction incidence rates with the hip implant.

If you or a loved one has been harmed by an unsafe medical product, contact Sokolove Law for a free legal consultation and to find out if a product liability lawyer may be able to help you.

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