A Brief on Metal-on-Metal Hip Implants
With the rise of new technology, innovations are being introduced which includes metal-on-metal (MoM) implants Hip implants are among one of the pioneers in the field that can benefit those with severe hip problems especially the elderly. With hip deterioration, there is the continuous search for a hip device that can withstand the wear and tear overtime. The objective is to create these devices for long-term or lifetime use to save time, money and effort. However, errors cannot be avoided like what happened to DePuy Pinnacle whose mother company is facing a $70 million lawsuit.
What is a Metal-on-metal (MoM) Hip Device?
Metal-on-metal Hip Device is one of the 4 options in America that patients can choose for hip replacement. A ball, stem and shell all made out of metal constitutes the device. The most commonly used metals are Cobalt-chrome and Titanium. There is no report on which metal is better but cobalt-chrome is known to be used for almost 65 years on orthopaedic devices with less reports of allergies and/or rejections. It was considered a huge breakthrough when it was introduced in the United States by year 2002. Cobalt-chrome was the metal used in making the first MoM device.
Some companies such as DePuy purposely designed metal-on-metal device with the younger and more active patients in mind because of its durability.
Advantages of a MoM Hip Device
MoM hip device can be considered as the best in terms of durability and can relatively last a long time there is proper care. There are several advantages of having a MoM device and they are as follow:
• Greater freedom of activity
• Less chances of being dislocated
• Less total material removed (compared to other devices) when there is friction between the ball and socket
• Believed to last a relative longer period of time (at least 15 years) so a revision surgery or another hip replacement won’t be necessary
Concerns on MoM Devices
Together with the advantages, certain issues were raised on MoM devices because they are known to have a number of negative effects. One concern raised is the risk for metal toxicity resulting from the metal particles falling off from the device. After quite some time, metal particles may cause trauma to the bone and/or the surrounding tissues which is called adverse local tissue reaction (ALTR). This occurrence might lead to loose implants that can cause terrible pain and a revision surgery might be necessary. Such reports were made by individuals who filed a DePuy Pinnacle Lawsuit and want compensation for all their sufferings. As a whole, there are a lot of risks involved in a hip replacement surgery but your surgeon will help you go through each so you’ll know the best prosthetic device that will suit you.