Hip Implants and Their Inherent Complications

Due to advances in hip implant technology, what is initially available to those who are older is now enjoyed even by those who are more active or younger than 55. People whose hip conditions may not be that severe, have successfully undergone the procedure. However, these strides into the new generation of stronger hip implants came with a stiff price, one in which both the recipients and manufacturers could pay dearly. In the final analysis, as hip implants are subject to everyday motion, the kind of material utilized plays a defining role. And as these materials corrode and interact with the body over time, complications arise that to a large extent defeat the purpose of the hip implants. Metallosis: MoM (metal-on-metal) Woes Chief among these complications is metallosis. Inherent to the more popular metal-on-metal hip implants where both the femoral component and the cup are made of metal, metallosis comes about due to the buildup of metal debris in the tissues of the body. Although the effects are varied and is most acute with recipients with metal sensitivity conditions, the list of hip replacement complications linked with metallosis includes: - Local tissue necrosis (surrounding tissues die) - Implant loosening and failure - Severe joint pain - Deterioration of bone around implant - Cysts or pseudotumors formation - Osteolysis Like a pack of hungry cells eating nearby healthy cells, Metallosis may affect the nervous system and cognitive functioning once metal ions invades the blood. Osteolysis: Bone Loss Osteolysis, or periprosthetic osteolysis is the condition wherein bone around the area of the hip implant degrades causing it to loosen and fail. Usually common with the metal-on-plastic implants, this complication happens through the release of enzymes, cytokines and other cellular reaction in the body to clean up the debris and get rid of foreign material. To date, Osteolysis is the most common cause for hip replacement failure accounting for about 75 per cent of all failures. Other Serious Complications Although Metallosis and Osteolysis claim the top two spots, other serious complications have

been known to surface. Again, it is worth noting that most of these complications are the adverse reaction of the body towards the hip implant. For example, in the hip complication called Heterotopic Ossification the body reacts by calcifying muscle around the hip joint forming new bones. And on the other hand, Avascular Necrosis or bone death could also follow when the bone is deprived of blood, a condition common with hip resurfacing surgeries. Or worse, infection around the hip implant, though rare, could develop resulting in transpelvectomy or the amputation of the entire hip and leg. Death Rates According to a 2003 study made public in the Iowa Orthopedic Journal over the results of 5,000 hip arthroplasty surgeries, first-time surgeries had a rather low mortality rate with only 1% but this shoots up to 2.5% with revision surgeries. Age became a determining factor as patients older than 70 has three times the likelihood of dying when compared to younger patients. With all these resulting complications surfacing, it is no wonder why many hip implants are recalled through time. A concrete example is the hip recall issued by the manufacturer Stryker. However, what made the Stryker Recall Lawsuit outstanding was that the manufacturer, Stryker, had not one but three of its hip implants recalled.