DePuy Acetabular Cup
The DePuy acetabular cup of the ASR™ XL Acetabular System is the part of a total hip implant that fits into the patient’s acetabulum, a hollowed-out cup-shaped space in the pelvis. In the normal hip, the top (called the head) of the thigh bone (called the femur) is shaped like a ball, and is able to rotate within the acetabulum in all directions, allowing full range of motion.
How the Acetabular System Is Meant to Work
Using the DePuy ASR™ XL Acetabular System, the orthopedic surgeon replaces the patient’s own femur with an artificial one. The surgeon also installs a cup-shaped artificial acetabulum or acetabular shell into the patient’s pelvis. The patient’s own bone is expected to grow into the artificial acetabulum to secure it in place, where it is a receptacle for the head of the femur.
In many patients (12 to 13 percent) who have received this artificial system, the implanted acetabular shell is loosening. This might be because particles of the implant being shed due to friction that occurs between the femoral head and the acetabulum when the patient moves. Such particles cause inflammation around the implant and the formation of cysts that prevent bone from growing into the acetabulum. Because of this, the acetabulum is not properly seated and attached to the pelvis.
Deformation of the Acetabular Cup
Some surgeons have complained that the acetabular cup is too shallow to properly hold the femoral head. In addition, the specific design of the cup makes it very difficult for the surgeon to properly insert into the patient’s body. The cup must be inserted at precisely the correct angle. It is difficult to insert the cup, surgeons say, with the precision necessary to achieve a well functioning implant
Symptoms of Problems with the ASR™ XL Acetabular System
Indications that the acetabular cup is loosening include:
- Pain deep in the groin
- The sensation that the hip is not in place
- Difficulty rising from a seated position
- Swelling in the hip, groin, or lower back
- Increasing pain when walking
- Popping or clicking sounds when walking
Contact a DePuy Hip Implant Lawyer
If you have had a DePuy hip replacement and had problems with it or needed hip revision surgery, you should contact a DePuy hip implant lawyer. (The implants first were inserted in 2003.)
Contact us today to find out more information about your legal right to a recovery.
DePuy Hip Replacement Recall Information
DePuyHipImplantRecall.org intends to provide patients with up-to-date information about the recent DePuy hip implant recalls. For more information, please select from the following: