New Ceramic Hip Resurfacing Implant May Be Safer and More Effective Hip implant related injury litigation involves medical chart reviews. The new ceramic hip implant developed is expected to be a safer and more effective option, and would reduce instances of litigation.
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News regarding a new type of hip implant that could provide better results for younger and more active people requiring surgery will be warmly welcomed amidst the many lawsuits pending against an existing hip resurfacing implant manufacturer based in the United Kingdom. Typically, personal injury and product liability lawsuits require comprehensive medical chart reviews to identify the exact nature of the injury and its impact. According to The Legal Examiner, the Smith & Nephew hip implant failure linked to design defect led to personal injury, pain, metallosis and the need for revision surgery for patients.
Major Health Concerns Associated with the Hip Resurfacing System What are metal on metal or MoM hip implants? These comprise a ball, stem and shell -- all made of metal materials. MoM resurfacing hip systems consist of a trimmed femoral head that is capped with a metal covering. The defect is caused by the metal components grinding against each other, releasing toxic metal debris of cobalt and chromium – the alloys used to manufacture the metal hip implant, into the bloodstream. Metallosis occurs when the toxic microscopic metal particles contaminate the blood. Smith & Nephew Birmingham Hip Resurfacing (BHR) system is FDAapproved for use in the United States since 2006. More than 175, 000 BHR implantations have been done worldwide since its introduction. In www.mosmedicalrecordreview.com
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this implant, an all-metal bearing joint is used to preserve, not replace a patient’s femoral head and neck. The company issued a field-safety notice regarding its BHR implants, mentioning that the implants had a higher risk of dislocation, premature failure, and fractures that may require surgery to correct. Following serious complications, the company had recalled their R3 Acetabular Hip Systems in 2012, as well as the Modular SMF and Modular Redapt Revision in 2016. Before going on to the alternative developed for metal hip implants for resurfacing surgery, let us see what hip resurfacing involves. Provided to replace a damaged hip joint, hip resurfacing involves the surgeon accessing
the
patient’s
hip
bone
through
an
incision,
then
trimming/capping the femoral head with a smooth metal covering. Part of the damaged bone with the hip bone socket is also removed and replaced with a metal shell. In the traditional hip replacement surgery, the surgeon would remove the femoral head completely instead of capping it with a covering. The socket of the hip bone is also replaced, just as in hip resurfacing. People whose hip joint has been damaged due to medical conditions such as osteoarthritis, osteonecrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, injury or fracture of the hip joint, and bone tumor in the hip joint may be recommended hip resurfacing treatment. This is expected to relieve pain, improve joint mobility, and enhance the quality of life.
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However, defective design of the implant often results in wear and tear of the parts and bits of metal fall off and contaminate the blood stream causing metallosis, mentioned earlier. Many patients require revision surgery or replacement. Issues with the implants have led to litigation against the manufacturers. Following high rate of problems with their hip resurfacing implant, Smith & Nephew withdrew the system from the U.S. market, and also issued a Birmingham Hip Resurfacing recall.
What Is New? The trial with a novel ceramic hip resurfacing implant at Imperial College, London offers new hope for patients who require hip replacement surgery. 15 patients have been treated with this implant and early results show that patients can return to physical activities such as cycling and swimming in a matter of weeks after the operation. Charing Cross Hospital, which is part of the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust is the first in the world to resurface patients’ hips without using metal implants. The clinical trial results suggest that the ceramic implant is suitable for both men and women. The team hopes that they may be able to offer more treatment options for patients who need surgical replacement of a hip, and help them lead more satisfying, active lives. Since the implant is made of ceramic that is non-toxic, strong and low wearing, the advantages of hip resurfacing surgery are preserved whereas the chances of problems arising from metal ions released into www.mosmedicalrecordreview.com
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the bloodstream is eliminated altogether. The implant is designed to fit both male and female hip contours. The trial helps demonstrate that total hip replacement may be postponed or even avoided for younger and more active patients. Personal injury and product liability lawsuits related to defective medical devices involve medical record retrieval and analysis. Lawyers handling such cases utilize the service of a medical review company to ensure expert analysis of the medical facts. They would advise their clients to be cautious about various important factors when considering hip resurfacing or hip replacement surgery. The most important considerations include the risks and benefits, side effects, the results to expect, the cost involved, alternative tests or procedures available, the credentials of the surgeon, and the facility where the surgery will be conducted.
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