Hip implant concerns persisted for years

SERIOUS concerns about hip implant parts which are the subject of a worldwide recall by their manufacturer, DePuy Orthopaedics, have persisted for a number of years, with critics claiming there is a design flaw in the products.

Two types of orthopaedic products used as hip replacement parts have been withdrawn by the company amid fears that they can cause higher than expected levels of soft-tissue damage in patients which may require them to have further surgery.

However, the products have been dogged by controversy almost from the outset, as questions have been asked how the main product – the ASR XL Acetabular hip implant – was approved for use in 2005 by the US Food and Drug Administration without being subjected to clinical trials.