Elizabeth Hofheinz, M.P.H., M.Ed. • Mon, Mar 12th, 2012
Dear OTW Reader: Seven Modes of Metal-on-Metal Hip Failure…These College Students 5x More Likely to Have Shoulder Instability…Another Look at Outpatient Joint Replacement…New Leadership at SBi and SI Bone…Two Reasons Patients Have Higher Rates of Medial Meniscus Injury and more….
The Seven Modes of MOM Failure…
Timothy Wright, Ph.D., Kirby Chair of Orthopedic Biomechanics at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), and Douglas Padgett M.D., chief of Adult Reconstruction and Joint Replacement with HSS, have just completed a study that gives the first comprehensive look at the modes of failure in metal-on-metal (MOM) total hip replacements.
Dr. Wright tells OTW, “There is a long history of analyzing retrieved implants and making observations about the kinds of damage you see on the surface…but little comprehensive information about the mechanism behind the damage. I think it’s fair to say that we don’t have our arms around the problem yet…not from an implant standpoint, a surgical technique standpoint, a manufacturing standpoint, or from a patient standpoint (do they have host factors that make them more susceptible to damage?). One of the things that is still unclear is metal ion concentrations in the blood. Yes, patients with higher levels are often symptomatic, but there are also patients with low levels who are symptomatic.
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