Controversy in the medical business

There was some controversy in the world of medicine lately when a scandal erupted involving DePuy, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson that specializes in orthopedic replacement prosthetics. The company’s line of hip replacement devices – both the one used for total hip replacement and the one for partial hip replacement – have been recalled following reports that they were failing at an alarming rate.

A medical study performed on patients that had the devices fitted concluded that the prosthetics were faulty. One out of every eight people that had the hip replacement surgery had to go back for a second surgery to solve problems related to the equipment. What happened was that the friction between two components of the prosthetic – namely the ball of the hip joint and the cup-shaped part where it fits – was causing debris to be released inside the patient’s body. This led to inflammation, swelling and pain and can only be fixed with a second surgery to clean the area. Some parts of the medical community are skeptical about the use of only metal components in these hip replacement devices, with some experts saying that the best solution is to have a combination of materials to reduce the friction. But the percentage of patients suffering from complications due to the prosthetic implant was unusually high even for that kind of equipment, thus causing the massive recall of the product.

This has inevitably led to a lawsuit against the company. If you have been fitted with the device or know someone who was, contact DePuy hip lawyer and submit your case for evaluation.