Smith & Nephew—4 mm BEAVER Blades: May Exhibit Brittle Fractures

ECRI Institute's complete weekly summary of medical device hazard and recall information is available in ECRI Institute's Health Devices Alerts(HDA). For more information about HDA, contact us at clientservices@ecri.org.

In a January 11, 2016, Urgent Product Recall 1st Notification letter submitted by ECRI Institute member hospitals, Smith & Nephew states that it has received reports of incidents in which the blades below exhibited brittle fracture during arthroscopic hip surgery and that the blades may not meet the firm's specifications. Smith & Nephew also states that if the blade breaks and falls into the patient, the pieces may be difficult to retrieve, potentially delaying surgery. The manufacturer has not confirmed the...