Farmer claims hip replacement defect

A 79-year-old farmer who claims he received an allegedly defective left hip implant has brought a High Court action for damages.

Patrick Walsh of Tinnislatty, The Rower, Co Kilkenny has sued DePuy International Ltd of Leeds, England.

His counsel told the High Court the metal-on-metal contact between the components of the DePuy hip replacement parts meant metallic flakes went into the blood stream and at one stage the levels of chromium and cobalt in Mr Walsh’s blood were “at a critical level.”