Metal-on-metal hip replacements may pose safety concerns

While no form of hip replacement delivers higher levels of effectiveness, medical experts have discovered potential safety concerns in metal-on-metal implants.

"[A] substantial number of [metal-on-metal] implants require revision surgery due to infection, wear, dislocation, instability or other mechanical failures," states the study's first author, Dr. Art Sedrakyan.

There has also been a highly publicised evidence of metallosis related to metal-on-metal implants, with many orthopaedic surgeons reducing the number that they perform, or stopping their completely.

Despite the fact that metal-on-metal replacements were initially believed to last longer than other alternatives, evidence has shown that in some cases the implant can quickly begin to wear, generating high volumes of metallic debris that is absorbed into a patient's body.

This can result in inflammatory reactions that can potentially cause pain in the groin, death of tissue in the hip joint and loss of surrounding bone.

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