Many people undergo hip replacement surgery all around the globe. The hip replacement systems utilized in such surgical procedures are made of either plastic, ceramic, or metal. Among the hip designs out in the market, however, hip producers assure the public that metal-on-metal (MoM) hip devices are unsurpassed in terms of durability and range of motion. All the same, the safety of said hip devices has been frequently questioned by health regulators.
As hip replacement grows in popularity, reports of complications linked to the devices used in the surgeries have surfaced. Reports say one out of ten hip replacement operations run into issues that lead to the failure of the hip implant used. Below is a list of the most regularly reported complications of hip arthroplasty:
Loosening of the hip device – When the bone around the hip replacement device declines, this may occur. Moreover, this problem may also arise if the shaft of the hip device loosens in the hollow of the thigh bone. This particular complication frequently happens in about 10 to 15 years after hip replacement surgery.
Dislocation of the hip joint – Statistics show that hip implants come out of their sockets in one out of twenty hip replacement cases. This adverse effect usually transpires a couple of months following hip replacement surgery, during which the hip is still recovering.
Besides the above mentioned adverse effects, many reported of serious MoM hip replacement complications. Some severe complications that has been linked to MoM hip devices include:
Blood clots – This complication may potentially transpire a couple of weeks after hip replacement surgery. Blood clots may either develop in the leg of patients, or in the interior of their lungs. A clot formation in the leg, according to medical specialists, is identified as deep vein thrombosis, and clot in the lung is called pulmonary embolism. Both can potentially cause the death of implant patients.
Infection – When germs contaminate the tissue that surrounds the hip prosthesis, infection may occur.
Medical Manufacturing Companies Recall Hip Devices after Reported Complications Surfaced
More than a few prestigious firms have recalled their hip replacement systems over the years. One of them is DePuy Orthopaedics, a subsidiary of manufacturing giant Johnson & Johnson.
The firm recalled its MoM ASR XL Acetabular and hip resurfacing systems after an increasing number of adverse effect reports surfaced. Oddly enough, most of the devices recalled are MoM in design.
nhs.uk/Conditions/Hip-replacement/Pages/Complications.aspx
mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/hip-replacement-surgery/basics/risks/PRC-20019151
