In August 2010, DePuy Orthopaedics announced a recall of the DePuy ASR™ Hip Resurfacing System and ASR™ XL Acetabular System. The devices are associated with a high failure rate that will require revisions for thousands of patients and have been the subject of substantial media coverage.
The DePuy Pinnacle® Acetabular Cup System has not garnered the same attention, but there is concern that the problems linked to the ASR™ system may extend to the Pinnacle® Acetabular Cup System, also manufactured by DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc.
The DePuy Pinnacle® hip replacements, like the ASR devices, utilize a metal-on-metal design. There are reports that patients with Pinnacle® devices also are experiencing problems, including early failures, joint slippage and metal toxicity. The Journal of Arthroplasty urged doctors to use metal-on-metal hip devices with "great caution, if at all." Mayo Clinic has reduced its use of metal-on-metal implants by 80%. |
