DePuy Hip Replacement Recall Affects More Women Than Men

The current DePuy hip replacement recall affects women more than men.

In August, DePuy Orthopaedics announced a global hip replacement recall of two devices: the ASR Hip Resurfacing System and the ASR XL Acetabular System. Each unit replaces a worn or weakened part of the hip. Many orthopedic doctors believe that the units were poorly designed. The implants can generate debris from wear, causing inflammation and tissue damage in recipients. 93,000 persons worldwide had an ASR device implanted.

DePuy, a Johnson & Johnson company, recalled its ASR devices globally after the National Joint Registry of England and Wales made public data showing that, within five years, about 12% of recipients of the hip resurfacing system and about 13% of recipients of the acetabular system needed corrective surgery. Women are more likely to need a second surgery than men. Yet, while data seem to indicate that women are at greater risk for early failure of a hip resurfacing device, according to a study performed at the University of Adelaide in Australia in 2009, a closer look at the data reveals that it is not the sex but the size of a recipient that determines how soon he or she will need a revision surgery. It happens that smaller recipients tend to be female.

Because joint implant components wear out over time, those who receive a replacement hip at a younger age will be more likely to require a revision procedure to replace the implant. A study presented at the 2010 annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons projected, however, that persons younger than 65 could account for more than half of all hip replacement recipients as early as next year.