Between 2005 and 2006, around 39,200 patients received MoM hip replacements that were made from cobalt-chrominum alloy and designed to reduce the risk of dislocation. A study recently published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery studied two patients who experienced adverse effects from MoM hip replacements.
The AAOS continues to support the use of MoM hip replacements on appropriate patients, though the organization recommends discussing the complications with patients before surgery. The complications are often treatable, according to the release. Physicians can also use the American Joint Replacement Registry, which AAOS helped establish, to track data and follow device problems.
Read the AAOS release on metal-on-metal hip replacements.
Read other coverage on AAOS:
– AAOS: Surgical Error Data for Orthopedics May Be Misleading
– AAOS Campaign Attracts Female Medical Students to Orthopedics
– AAOS Explains Vertebroplasty Guideline
