New hip (Photo credit: okadots)
Fears have been raised about hip implants causing "systemic toxicity" in a report last month which was produced by Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
The toxins are caused by miniscule metal fillings breaking off due to friction between the ball and cup of where the replacement has taken place. There is now an investigation underway in America which has found that metal-on-metal hip implants had shown signs of wear and tear.
It was estimated that around 40,000 people in the UK had metal-on-metal hip replacements. These were introduced in during the 90's because of their stability, they had bigger ball joints and were seen as giving greater stability.
The research which was carried out in the US on 46 medical insurance patients who had these types of hip replacements, showed that 98 per cent of the cups had some type of severe scratching. It was also shown that 93 per cent of the heads recovered from patients had also seen damage.
Many patients who have had the metal hip transplant have been asked to return to their hospitals for a check up to see if eveything was ok The compnay DePuy , who produced the metals, have said they would take full responsibility whilst the investigation was ongoing.
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