Smith and Nephew Proactively Withdraws a Metal-on-Metal Hip Option from the Market

Voluntary market withdrawal of hip component (press release)

Smith & Nephew, the global medical technology business, has decided to initiate a voluntary market withdrawal of the optional metal liner component of its R3 Acetabular System. This does not impact other R3 System liners.

This action does not change the current practice for patient follow-up care for this component.

Andy Weymann MD, Smith & Nephew’s Chief Medical Officer, said: “We regularly review the effectiveness of our products and are not satisfied with the clinical results of this component. As with all medical devices, anyone experiencing unusual symptoms should contact their surgeon.”

Approximately 7,700 metal-liners have been implanted since the component was introduced in 2007 and launched globally in 2009. The majority of these have been used in stemmed total hip replacements.

In 2011, procedures using this component accounted for less than 1% of Smith & Nephew’s global hip implant revenue.

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