Some patients received metal - on - metal hip implants , despite the fact that the company that made them issued safety warnings concerning the devices , according to documents published by the Daily Telegraph . In 1995 , a senior engineer at DePuy said the implants were vulnerable to " catastrophic " failure . They were first used in patients in the UK in 2002 . Over 20,000 patients ultimately received the implants , which some analysts believe can release toxic ions into the bloodstream . Doctors in Texas are currently suing DePuy .
UK patients received metal-on-metal hip implants, despite the fact that the company that produces them received safety warnings concerning the devices, according to documents seen by the Daily Telegraph. In 1995, a senior engineer at DePuy said the implants were vulnerable to "catastrophic" breakdown. They were first used in patients in the UK in 2002. Over 20,000 patients ultimately received the implants, which some analysts believe can release toxic ions into the bloodstream. Patients in Texas are currently suing DePuy.