Depuy Implant Recalls

Depuy is a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson

This implant manufacturer was a part of the 2001 recall of zirconia ceramic femoral heads manufactured by St. Gobain Desmarquest. The recall was mandated by the Food and Drug Administration after numerous reports that the femoral head component was fracturing at a larger rate than what was expected. Depuy Orthopedics was one of the eight manufacturers that issued recalls of their hip implant systems as a result of using St. Gobain Desmarquest’s zirconia ceramic femoral heads in their joint replacement products.In the late 1990s, Depuy withdrew its Hylamer Polyethylene Bearing Surface product from the market. This product was originally developed to minimize wear in join implant components for the hip, shoulders, knees, and elbows. In 2001, the British government’s Medical Devices Agency issued a recall of knee implant Hylamer liners sterilized with gamma radiation in air. The recall was conducted after a study showed that patients were showing a high failure rate for the device.

In 2008, Depuy issued another recall on its LCS Knee – Orthopedic knee implant Meniscal bearing insert. This product is intended to replace a knee joint in order to relieve pain and restore function to the knee. The reason for the recall was that the product was not labeled properly and mis-etched as to size.

In August 2010, Depuy recalled its ASR Total Hip Implant as well as its ASR Resurfacing Device due to high failure rates. Keefe Law Firm is currently litigating these types of cases throughout the country, and was recently appointed co-lead counsel for all ASR cases filed in the state of New Jersey.