DePuy Executive Asked Why Plans to Re-Design ASR Hip Halted


The president of the orthopedic division of Johnson & Johnson, Andrew Ekdahl, said the company recalled their all-metal implant due to it not meeting “clinical needs for the product.” He testified at a trial recently due to claims the company failed to issue warnings about the risks involved with the implants. He was questioned by a representative for a patient adversely affected by their hip implant about whether they recalled the implants because they were not safe, but he continued to answer that they did not meet clinical needs.

In 2010, the company said 12% of devices failed.  By 2011, a study showed 37% failed, and in 2012 44% were found to fail within seven years. Ekdahl was asked how many hip revision surgeries due to failure were expected, and what they considered acceptable. He said they didn’t know the acceptable rate.

He was also asked about their handling of complaints filed by surgeons because thousands stated the device caused them painful symptoms. A surgeon stated the hips were poorly designed. Ekdahl was also questioned about their plans to re-design the implant that were scrapped, according to news reports.