Metal-On-Metal Hip Implants Have Special Risks, FDA Says

Metal-On-Metal Hip Implants Have Special Risks, FDA Says

By Robert J. Boumis

All artificial hip implants carry some risk of damage from their component materials wearing against each other. Even natural hip joints have this risk; otherwise no one would ever need an artificial hip. However, there is a special risk of damage with metal-on-metal hip implants compared to other types of artificial hip joints.

In an artificial hip joint, a medical implant is used to replace part or all of hip joint where the leg bone meets the pelvis. In many patients, a lifetime of use wears away at the cartilage of this joint, causing osteoarthritis, a condition where the cartilage is ground completely away. Since cartilage helps the joint move smoothly against itself, losing cartilage causes pain and swelling in the joint. In metal-on-metal hip implants, both parts of the implant — the one replacing the top of the leg bone and the one replacing the pelvic side of the joint — are both made of metal, hence the name. This contrasts with other types of artificial hip implants where the joint is protected by ceramic or polymers.

According to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), metal-on-metal hip implants have special concerns above and beyond the risks associated with other hip implants. When the joint moves, the metal parts rub against one another, causing tiny bits of metal to flake off. Additionally, some brands apparently have issues with corrosion on the joint. These mechanical failures can lead to serious health problems for the patient.

When the flakes of metal dissolve in the patient’s body, they can increase the levels of chromium and titanium ions in the blood stream. These ions can disrupt nerve and heart function. Additionally, the metal flakes can cause painful reactions in the tissue surrounding the joint, causing pain and trouble walking. In many cases, the inflamed tissue and corrosion can cause the implant to fail. When this happens, the patient has to undergo “revision surgery,” a situation where a surgeon has to go in and fix or replace the implant.

Lawsuits have been filed against the manufacturers of metal-on-metal hip implants. These hip implant lawsuits allege that the manufacturers knew – or reasonably should have known from testing, postmarket surveillance, and epidemiological studies — about the serious risks associated with metal-on-metal hip implants. The lawsuits further allege that the manufactures did not act on this information in a timely manner, and not only did not warn patients, but continued to actively market these implants despite knowing about the danger. Such actions would prevent patients and their health care providers form having all of the information they needed to make informed decisions regarding their medical care.

If you or someone you care about suffered from serious complications after receiving a metal-on-metal hip implant, your life may have been turned upside down. Dealing with serious medical problems and convalescence after complications or revision surgery has a way of completely dominating your life. But it’s important that you remember that you still have rights, and there are steps that you can take to regain control over your situation. You can start by visiting the Stryker Metal-on-Metal Hip Implant Class Action Lawsuit Investigation and learning about your legal rights.

Updated July 29th, 2013

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