Metal-on-Metal Hip Replacement Implants Have High Failure Rates

In the recent years, there is a concern that failure rate of metal-on-metal (MoM) hip replacement implants are four times substantially higher compared to other hip implant designs, online sources reveal. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have been wary about these growing problems and have made recommendations for the past years, say an article found at http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/story/2012-06-25/metal-hip-implant-risks/55845858/1. There is a belief that that large-head stemmed MoM implant reduces the risk of potential dislocation and highly resistant to wear, following the hip replacement surgery. However, it was discovered that these large-head stemmed metal implants have higher failure rates compared to those with smaller heads. Lawsuits are filed in the different US states due to this problem. 

Another surprising discovery about MoM hip implants is that women have drastically higher risk of hip implant failure compared to men. Researchers believed that there is a connection between the small size of women’s hip joint and bones and potential implant dislocation. Overall, metal-on-metal implants required revision due to failure more quickly than other implants, with a 6.2 percent needing revision within five years of implantation. The size of the head of the metal on metal implant affected the failure rate in men and women, with larger heads failing earlier.

Another concern related to MoM problems is the potential occurrence of metallosis. It is a medical condition in which there is a high build up of metal debris in the blood. This metal debris is produced by the friction between the two metal surfaces, the ball-and-socket of the implant. The body seems to react to this microscopic debris with an immune response. This can lead to soft-tissue and bone damage around the hip joint. In some patients, this tissue damage has been severe causing permanent injury andrequiring additional surgery. Patients with this particular implant are much more likely to need their hip replacement repeated. 

One popular brand of MoM hip implants is Stryker. It keeps two known products, Rejuvenate and ABG II, which have been very controversial. These products were marketed to provide increased stability, better movement, and superior fit over other hip replacement products available in the market. However, these hip implants have been recalled due to dangerous health complications. Because of these concerns, these implants should be closely monitored to watch for potential problem. You may visit the stryker hip implant recall website for more info.

References: 

• guardian.co.uk/society/2012/feb/28/hip-replacement-joints-scare-metal
• medicalnewstoday.com/articles/242906.php
• nhs.uk/news/2012/03march/Pages/all-metal-hip-implant-failure-rates.aspx
• medicalnewstoday.com/articles/242849.php
• usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/story/2012-06-25/metal-hip-implant-risks/55845858/1