Patients naturally assume that when a sophisticated metal implant like a hip replacement is surgically placed into their bodies, it must have been thoroughly tested before wide use. The now-recalled DePuy ASR hip replacement shows how wrong that assumption is.
A medical device manufacturer in the United States can cobble together new components into an old, already-approved device, and the new hybrid device is essentially grandfathered into government approval since it in theory closely resembles the old device.
Please see full publication below for more information.