New research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that hip implant failure rates were 29% more common for women than men. The study also concluded that women who were implanted with DePuy Orthopaedic’s recalled ASR Hip Resurfacing System and ASR XL Acetabular System may be at the highest risk for premature hip implant failure.

Over 35,000 Patients Studied

Researchers of the study conducted at the Southern California Permanente Research Group in San Diego, California, followed 35,140 patients (58% women / 42 % men) who were undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty (THA). They came to the following conclusions:

• Hip failure rates were 2.3% for women, but only 1.9% for men.
• Larger femoral head sizes caused more problems for women.
• Metal-on-metal implants doubled the risk of failure for women.
• Aseptic revision surgeries posed the greatest risk for women.

Why Is This Information Important?

Hip implant failure is a serious and ongoing concern. Thousands of DePuy hip implant lawsuits and Stryker hip implant lawsuits pending in federal and state courts allege that hip implant failure rates are unreasonably high. In fact, DePuy hip failure rates have been reported as high as 44%. While most hip replacements should last for 15 years, many fail within the first five years.

Information gathered in studies like this one are important for patients undergoing hip replacement surgeries in the future, to better understand what went wrong in those which have failed and to determine what hip implant manufacturers knew – or should have known – before placing their products on the market.

If you’ve been injured by a defective medical device, contact The Driscoll Firm, LLC, to assess your situation and find out if you might be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, medical monitoring costs and more.