In the wake of the current widespread problem concerning hip replacements, everyone is compelled to ask: what makes an artificial hip replacement defective? There are certain ways an artificial hip replacement can fail, and they do quite commonly, and at great cost and suffering at that. But what, really, makes these supposed life-savers fail at a high rate? Why do gigantic replacement hip manufacturers—despite their supposed years of hard-earned expertise in this highly exacting field—seem so prone to churning out defective artificial hip replacements?
There is an increasing number of cases and lawsuits filed against manufacturers of artificial hip replacements. For example, a teacher in Australia recently sued Johnson & Johnson after her hip replacement failed within five years after implantation, causing worsening symptoms that include inflammation and tissue and bone degeneration. And she’s only one among many.
Types of Hip Replacement Defects
Several factors are at play here, all contributing to the failure of an artificial hip replacement. Despite recent technological advancements in the field of orthopedic surgery, the said advancements seem to fail in hitting their target, which is providing a longer-lasting implant with less, if not zero, complications. In fact, the advancements themselves seem to be behind the recent spate of defective hip replacements.
For example, metal-on-metal artificial hip replacements, on paper, should have been better than the older metal-and-plastic devices. They are supposed to be more durable and exceed the 15-year life of previous models. About a decade ago, their arrival in the market was hailed as the “next big thing” in the field of orthopedic surgery. But as the flood of complaints and lawsuits indicate, especially in the past few years, all-metal hip replacements seem to be causing new problems and complications.
Basically, as several studies found out, these all-metal implants wear down faster than was expected. In some cases, the device breaks down in a few years. Moreover, as the device wears down, it produces metal debris (cobalt and chromium) that, if unchecked, could lead to severe metal poisoning. The debris may also further damage the tissue and bone surrounding the implant. In some cases, bone loss was observed, rendering the implant useless and necessitating removal, or “revision surgery.”
The ultimate cost of the widespread failure of hip replacements can be truly staggering, considering that in the USA alone, some 250,000 people receive such replacements every year. This means tens of thousands of implant recipients will have to undergo revision surgery in the succeeding years as their hip replacements fail en masse.
There are also hip replacements in which a design flaw—very small in most cases, but producing very significant consequences during the surgery—makes the device extremely difficult to implant in a patient. Take, for example, the DePuy ASR hip implant, which orthopedic surgeons assert is shallower than other similar devices, thereby making the device difficult to implant and increasing the risk of complications.
Other types of design flaw can take the form of a new design implementation that leaves the artificial hip prone to fracturing prematurely. There are also flaws that prevent the device from fully serving its intended purpose. For instance, a hip replacement manufactured by a company called Zimmer looked good on the drawing table. It will perform excellently and enhance the quality of life of the recipient, so says the brochure. However, when implanted in a patient, a very small, almost unnoticeable design implementation prevented the artificial hip from “fully seating.” This defect limited the recipient’s mobility, and at times movement is associated with pain even after full recovery.
Clearly, there is nothing bad about the drive to introduce better and more advanced devices, but only as long as such advancements have been thoroughly and meticulously subjected to extensive tests and studies. The recent medical mess involving metal-on-metal hip replacements shows that even the biggest companies could make such gigantic blunders. It is worse when such companies try to whitewash their mistakes at the expense of thousands of people.
Hip replacement failure is costly in many ways—the initial surgery alone is expensive, so if the device’s failure necessitates the performance of what is called “revision surgery,” the ensuing medical and hospital bills could easily shoot through the roof. Aside from the significant financial cost, there is of course the tissue or bone damage that might turn out to be irreversible.
Although minimally invasive surgical procedures have been developed to avoid damaging the surrounding tissues as much as possible, all such caution is thrown out the window if multiple surgeries are needed to correct or remove a defective hip replacement. This is so because operating on bone structures, especially in the pelvic area, are very challenging and requires the work of an experienced, highly skillful surgeon.
Symptoms of Hip Replacement Defects
A defective hip replacement can make its “failure” felt by the patient in a variety of ways, mostly involving pain. An artificial hip replacement may have failed or impending to fail if the recipient is experiencing pain in the hips, thigh or groin area. In other cases, the pain may not be constant, but occur in sudden quick stabs, especially when walking or bearing some weight. The pain may also be specifically associated with body posture, such as when one rises from a seated position or changes their posture when lying in bed.
The major cause of such pain is the damage to tissue and bone surrounding the hip replacement device, as a direct consequence of exposure to metal debris. However, not all cases of metal poisoning may be associated with the tell-tale pain. In fact, several orthopedic surgeons are baffled with cases of metal poisoning in which the patients report no pain at all. The absence of pain makes it difficult for doctors to decide whether or not a hip replacement should be removed. Currently, the medical establishment is still in the process of formulating definitive protocols to help doctors and patients alike in determining when they might need revision surgery, or when can a hip replacement be considered defective.
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