Dangers of Metal Hip Implants

Recent studies in the United States and Britain highlight the problems some people are experiencing from metal hip implants. Complaints include swelling, pain, joint dislocation, systemic damage from leaching metal ions, and even the need for repeat surgery when the artificial joint fails. So if you have one of these artificial hips, should you have it removed? Dr. David Brownstein, a board-certified family physician and medical director for the Center for Holistic Medicine in West Bloomfield, Mich., tells Newsmax Health that more study of the implants is needed before such a blanket advisory can be made. “It’s a pretty serious operation, and unfortunately, right now, we don’t have enough data to say whether those that have the metal-on-metal hip implants should just remove them or not,” he says. He notes that the failure rate for the implants — known as metal-on-metal because the ball and the cup are both made of metal — is between 1 percent and 3 percent. “That is a small amount … as of now. Unfortunately, we don’t know what the future is going to hold. So if you are not having problems with metal hip implants, I would probably advise to just stay on sidelines and be aware that this could become a problem in the future, and you might have to act upon it.” Joint replacement surgery is particularly popular among active baby boomers, who hope artificial hips and knees will help them maintain their athletic lifestyles as they age. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons reports that people between the ages of 45 and 64 accounted for more than 40 percent of the 906,000 total hip and total knee replacement surgeries performed in 2009, according to the Associated Press. What’s more, about 250,000 people undergo hip replacement surgery a year in the United States. What does Dr. Brownstein advise for patients in need of hip replacement? “I would suggest doing your research, not getting a metal-on-metal implant, and using one of the older versions that have been proven safe over time.”