Damaged hip joint causing pain and functional impairment is generally managed by hip replacement surgery. A hip implant will be positioned in place of the damaged joint. Hip implants come in different designs and device makers. Recent reports show evidence of defective DePuy hips existed 3 years before recall and these evidences were testified by Australian Orthopedics experts. DePuy Orthopedics is a global leader in orthopedics and the largest company within the DePuy Family of Companies.
The hip joint is a ball-and-socket joint in which the spherical head of the thighbone moves inside the cup-shaped hollow socket of the pelvis. The socket, ball and stem makes up the hip implant. Designs of the hip implant are patterned in a way that painless movement of the hip joint is obtained. Correct selection of the hip device is important.
Various factors are considered in choosing the hip implant, which includes age and activity level of the patient and the preference of the surgeon. Metal and plastic are the components of almost all hip implant. Titanium, stainless steel or cobalt chrome makes up the metal part and polyethylene on the plastic part. The plastic has a wear out rate of a millimeter a year, and a life expectancy of 10-15 years. A recent innovation in the polyethylene component has a slower wear rate and allows the implant to last up to 15-20 years.
Metal-on-metal is another type of hip implant available in the market. The device basically uses the same kind of metal as with metal and plastic. Metal-on-metal implants do not wear out as quickly as the metal and plastic, giving it a longer life expectancy. Metal toxicity or metallosis is a concern in MoM implants. As the implant rubs against bone, metal ions are released into the blood and this may increase over time.
Hip implant also comes in ceramic-on-ceramic design. They wear out even less than the all-metal implant. Concern about metallic ions is negative of this hip implant design. Fracture breakage of the ceramic implant is possible and patient may need another surgery for repair.
There is no such thing as the best implant. Factors are to be considered and options are weighed carefully before proceeding with the operation. Carefully choosing the hip implant that offers the most benefits and the least concerns is highly recommended. The ASR hip system of DePuy Orthopedics is undergoing a worldwide hip recall DePuy because study shows that the device is faulty.
Reference:
orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00355
hipsandknees.com/hip/hipimplants.htm
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_replacement
orthopedics.about.com/od/hipkneereplacement/a/implants.htm
www.hip-replacement-care.com/27774-hip-replacement-designs.html
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