DePuy Hip Replacement "Poster Lady" Sues

Somerset, EnglandA former gymnast who was dubbed a "poster lady" for DePuy hip replacement surgery and implants is taking legal action against the manufacturer who is responsible for the device, according to The Press Association.

Penny Brown is joining a group of more than 300 patients in the UK who are filing a class-action lawsuit against DePuy—a firm that is part of Johnson & Johnson—after medical professionals told her that she would need further surgery due to the fact that the implant had worn out prematurely.

Although the Articular Surface Replacement (ASR) was available to patients on the National Health Service (NHS) and worldwide, the product was withdrawn from the market last year as part of a global recall, the news source reported.

Due to the nature of the implants that were given, patients have allegedly complained of a range of symptoms that include pain, while doctors have noticed high revision rates for these individuals following operations, according to the UKPA.

Brown, who currently resides in Bath, England, originally agreed to advertise the product after receiving an implant following constant pain in her hips in 2004.

"I was advised to have the ASR resurfacing procedure rather than a total hip replacement on the basis that it would last much longer, be safer and reduce the likelihood of further surgery during my lifetime," Brown told the news source.

Brown had agreed to be the "poster lady" for the ASR procedure following the initial positive results that she had experienced after the surgery. However, in 2009, more than four years after the product was installed, the former gymnast began to experience groin pain, according to the news source.

The pain gradually worsened according to allegations by Brown, and she was eventually told that she must undergo surgery to prevent the ASR system from falling further into disarray, reported the news outlet.

According to The New York Times, the US government had received a surge in complaints about failed hip replacements, suggesting that serious problems continue to exist with certain products.

The news source reported that up to 75 percent of the claims that were received had to deal directly with the ASR products from DePuy, as the devices were recalled by DePuy to avoid further incidents.