Metal-on-Metal Hip Implants Raise Questions

Some orthopedic surgeons are moving away from using metal-on-metal hip implants — currently used in about a third of conventional hip replacements or resurfacings — in response to growing concern that they may cause inflammatory reactions and loss of bone in patients, according to a story in The New York Times.

These implants, often crafted out of cobalt and chromium, were originally designed to be more durable than other implant options. However, in some cases they may begin to wear quickly, leading to tiny pieces of metal debris being absorbed into a patient's body. This can lead to inflammation as well as tissue death and loss of surrounding bone, according to the Times, which cites a recent editorial in The Journal of Arthroplasty that urged physicians who use these devices to do so with "great caution, if at all."

Recent studies have estimated that 1 to 3 percent of patients who receive these implants could be affected by the problem, but some surgeons fear they may just now be seeing the beginnings of a larger problem, according to the Times.

Read The New York Times' story on hip implants.