A British federal agency has discovered serious safety testing flaws on metal hip implants, sparking concern the devices were defective and dangerous as sold.
Most artificial hip joints are made from metal, plastic, and cements or a combination of these materials. The DePuy Pinnacle and DePuy Pinnacle ASR hips were not designed like ordinary artificial hip implants. These hips were designed with an all metal construction. This means that both the ball and socket were made entirely of metal. The idea, as suggested by the company’s marketing department is that a metal-on-metal hip joint would be smoother than a traditionally-designed implant. This in turn would allow younger hip replacement patients to lead a more active life as the joint would act like the patient’s uninjured natural joint.
Unfortunately, things did not go as planned by the company. Like most metal surfaces, when it is subject to extreme amounts of force and rubbed against other metal surfaces, it creates friction and this leads to integral breakdown. There are many consequences to a hip joint breaking down prematurely. Continue reading