How to Prevent Hip Implant Injury

Metal-on-metal hip implants are devices designed to replace the ball and socket in the hip joint to facilitate painless and functional mobility. Walking remains the body’s most important function for survival and productivity. However, as men and women increase in age, the hip joint deteriorates. When  the hip and thigh bones are not working smoothly together any more, discomfort is unavoidable and causes pain and stiffness. The worst that may  happen is for the patient to develop a walking disability that cannot be alleviated through medications, physical therapy and a restorative exercise regimen. For this reason the invention of hip replacements becomes a breakthrough in medical technology that should address this problem. No longer do patients have to resign themselves into immobility after a hip joint malfunction. But, like all other medical procedures and products, there are possible dangers in using metal-on-metal hip implants.

While hip implant systems work well and are designed to have low levels of wear and tear, there have been reported cases of itheir metal component being susceptible to premature corrosion and fretting. When this happens, the released debris (metallic shards) may affect the nearby tissues, thereby causing adverse reactions such as pain and swelling. The bloodstream also becomes unsafe from these toxic metal particles, making it prone to tumors. The health dangers of these metal ions, if prolonged and untreated, could affect the nervous system, the heart and the thyroid gland where all vital functions of the body are regulated and controlled.

One important thing to know is that, in the process of manufacturing a product that is supposed to facilitate healing or improve one’s condition, there really are instances in which lapses are unavoidable such as in the quality of the product in terms of material wear. Indeed, it is very important for a patient like you to know as much as you can about the type of hip implant that you or a cared for individual would be getting, especially if it is permanent and not removable. You want to know what kind of material it will be made of and how long it should last inside your body. It is also wise and helpful to check if you are allergic to the material. Make sure that you are doing this procedure with an experienced doctor. You may also want to know what the symptoms are and which would tell you that the implant is not functioning properly so that you will be prepared should this happen. Prevention is always better than being at the receiving end of a painful damage as experienced by the patients that caused the Stryker hip recall.

URLS:

 fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/ImplantsandProsthetics/MetalonMetalHipImplants/ucm241604.htm

 arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritis-information/surgery/mom-hip-q-and-a.aspx

Patients of Stryker Hip Implants at Risk of Metallosis

In July 2012 two hip implant models were voluntarily recalled by Stryker Orthopedics. The two models that were recalled were the Rejuvenate and the ABG II modular-neck hip stem implants.  This recall comes on the heels of around 60 different reports to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which held complaints ranging from implants corroding and slowly breaking, causing swelling and pain in the patient’s hip.  The FDA had taken notice of the possible negative trend that these reports were showing since the complications the patients were reporting were not caused by underlying conditions such as arthritis.

 In a press release Stryker admitted that their metal on metal bearings in their hip replacement implants could cause metallic wear particles around 20 to 80nm in diameter to be introduced into the body when the bearings were in motion.   As the debris corrode, the metal ions found inside them can create an adverse reaction in the muscle tissue nearest to them causing swelling and pain.

 However, the type of debris which is produced depends on the type of material the implants are made of.  Each material may cause a different long-term effect on the patients body.For example, hip implants known as metal-on-metal hips in which both the femoral component and the cup are made of metal will create debris primarily made of cobalt and titanium ions, which may cause a condition known as metallosis.  Metallosis is a rare disease in which metallic debris are introduced into the body and cause pain in the soft tissue, in the case of hip replacement the tissue around the hip area is most effected.

The way that Stryker is different from the DePuy Hip Replacement line is that the hip socket joint for the Stryker models is not a metal-on-metal joint but mainly ceramic. However, they do have a metal-on-metal joint within the workings of the devices that may likely deteriorate over time.  As a result, certain recipients of these implants may experience the dangerous effects of metallosis.  One such side effect is that these metal debris can cause grey discoloration of the tissue surrounding the implant, this usually means that the tissue is oxygen-starved and dying.  The effects of metallosis can be particularly acute in implant recipients who have a condition known as metal sensitivity.  Those patients who have metal sensitivity are more likely to suffer from metal poisoning.

Hospitalization and painful corrective surgeries are sometimes necessary to alleviate pain and swelling caused by the affected Stryker implants.  Stryker has begun warning patients on its website that if they began to experience  pain or discomfort in their hip area they may visit their doctor as soon as possible.

References:

aboutstryker.com/hip/disclaimer/