| Why Bone Deterioration Causes Problems with Hip Revision Surgery |
By Independent Staff Writer
As we try to describe the reasons the DePuy ASR XL Acetabular System present such a danger to your health, we occasionally use terms you may be only vaguely familiar with. This is an ongoing series of articles on the medical terms related to the DePuy hip recall and hip revision surgeries.
When undergoing hip surgery, there are generally two options for a hip implant: cemented and uncemented. Cemented implants, which involve attaching the implant directly to the surrounding bone by means of a specially constructed bone cement, have been used since the 1960s. Uncemented implants were introduced in the 1980s. The ASR XL Acetabular System is an uncemented implant.
The idea behind an uncemented implant is that healthy bone can grow into its surface, thus holding the implant in place by means of the body's own materials instead of a foreign cement. Medical professionals hoped that this design would mean the patient could have a more active life since the concern of gradually wearing away the cement would be eliminated. Cementless total hip replacements are recommended for younger, more active patients and have shown, so far, better results in long-term studies.
Obviously, healthy bone is essential for an uncemented hip implant. Without healthy bone growth, the hip implant will not be secured into the rest of the skeleton and will not function as a replacement for the removed hip.
Evidence is showing that the DePuy ASR XL Acetabular System may cause serious bone deterioration in a number of ways. One of the most significant is osteolysis, which occurs when the body reabsorbs bone as part of an autoimmune response. Osteolysis has been noted as a side effect of many total hip replacement systems; the more debris that is released into the body, the more common osteolysis becomes. Metal-on-metal hip implants were thought to have less likelihood of debris because they are made of harder materials, but the ASR XL Acetabular System's poor design caused significant friction and a great deal of metal debris, raising the risk of osteolysis.
Another problem is the surgery itself. An uncemented implant requires the surgeon to insert the cup of the hip implant into the hip socket, called the acetabulum. This means some of the bone in the socket must be scraped away to make room for the implant. This is part of any hip implant surgery, but since the DePuy implants only lasted a few years before they were recalled, patients are now forced to undergo hip revision surgery before that bone has had enough time to recover from the initial surgery's trauma.
Hip revision surgery is much less likely than initial hip replacement surgery to succeed. With damaged bone mass, the chance of success is even lower.
In essence, the weaker the bone, the less likely it is that each successive hip replacement surgery will succed. With complications of metal poisoning, metallosis, and trauma to the surrounding bone and tissue, the circumstances for a revision surgery are far from optimal.
If you have a DePuy ASR XL Acetabular System and you are concerned about compensation for the medical trauma you've experienced, we'd like to help answer your questions and advise you of your legal rights. Please give us a call at 800-730-7607 or simply fill out our online contact form.
Recommended Readings:
Hip Implant Risks May Include Premature Failure
How the ASR XL Acetabular System is Constructed
DePuy Asks Hip Implant Patients to Sign Away Their Legal Rights |
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DISCLAIMER: All cases are based on individual circumstances and the facts pertaining to each case, and the outcome for any particular case depends on a variety of factors. None of the information provided on this website should suggest or guarantee a particular result for any given case. None of the information provided on this website should be construed in any way as legal advice. Further, none of the information provided on this website should suggest or imply the formation of an attorney-client relationship in any capacity whatsoever.
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Recent Articles and Publications
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May 13, 2012
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The Four Most Common Complications Which Lead to Greater Risk of Unsuccessful Revision
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Artificial hip replacements have become increasingly common, yet as people begin to live longer, it is inevitable that these artificial joints will fail, wear out, or cause health complications. Should any of these issues arise a hip revision surgery will become necessary to replace the failing joint.
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Full Story
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May 12, 2012
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A Study of Metal-On-Metal Hip Replacement Implants: Part Two: Cobalt Poisoning Examined
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Cobalt poisoning as a result of industrial exposure or medical treatment is fairly well known, however those who were fitted with a metal-on-metal hip implant were not expecting to be subjected to dangerous levels of cobalt. Cobalt poisoning can lead to ringing in the ears, dizziness, deafness, blindness or atrophy of the optic nerve, severe headaches.
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Full Story
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May 11, 2012
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A Study of Metal-On-Metal Hip Replacement Implants: Part One: What is Cobalt and how is it Used?
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Unfortunately, a large number of metal-on-metal hip replacement implants have had negative outcomes, from relatively minor to very severe. Tissue damage due to metallosis from the cobalt used in the hip implants can severely compromise any subsequent recommended revision surgery.
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Full Story
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