Comment from Jackie:
I HAVE TO AGREE WITH THIS AND NOT ONLY WITH ZIMMER OR JUST KNEES, WITH ANY METAL ON METAL DEVICE THAT IS PUT INOT OUR BODIES BECAUSE….THIS PROBLEM WITH COLBALT AND CHROMEUM STARTED WAY BEFORE MY REPLACEMENT IN MARCH, 2010, SO MY QUESTION IS…WHY ON EARTH WOULD THESE COMPANIES CONTINUE TO USE THESE KNOWING FULL WELL OF THE PROBBABLE OUTCOME.
SO HERE YOU ARE, I AM AND MANY MANY OTHER ARE WITH LEVELS OF METALS IN OUR BLOODSTREAM THAT DO NOT BELONG, WHY ARE THEY STILL ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TO POSION US AND MAKE OUR PAIN WORSE THAN IT WAS BEFORE WE DID THIS BECAUSE OF THE FAILURE RATE??
THESE COMPANIES ALL NEED TO BE STOPPED FROM MAKING REPACEMENTS WITH THESE THINGS IN IT. WE HAVE ALL GONE IN THINKING WE WHERE GOING TO BE BETTER OFF AND GETTING SO MUCH BETTER AND WE ARE WORSE OFF THAN WE EVER WERE.
SO NOW WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT CHANGING THIS?? I AM OPEN TO ANYTHING THAT WILL STOP THIS FROM CONTINUING TO HAPPEN TO MANY MANY OTHERS, AND AGAIN ITS ALOT OF DIFFERENT MANUFACTURS. ANY THOUGHTS OR IDEAS??
My View:
Hi Jackie
the problem is that medical science is not ever 100% and for between 85% and 95% of the population metal on metal, except for DePuy ASR’s, have been working (failing) at an “acceptable level”.
We unfortunately are part of the smaller percentage where they do not work.
Given the overall problems with metal on metal and their tendency to wear excessively and cause problems when not fitted well, it is likely that metal on metal will be phased out rather quickly and replaced with ceramic on ceramic or other combinations like metal on plastic. Even these combinations have their issues. Plastic wears and can cause osteolysis – this is well documented – even pseudotumours but there are not the problems with metal toxicity that occur with metal on metal.
The thousands of lawsuits before the courts at present have sent a loud signal to the manufacturers – you will see changes – but there will always be problems with hip replacements for some of us, depending on our anatomy and physiology – this is just the result of us being a biological soup. Nothing is perfect, sadly.
Related articles
- Financial toll soars for hip implant failures – KansasCity.com (earlsview.com)
- Jackie – a typical story repeats again & again – Patient Fear and Distress (earlsview.com)
- UK surgeon warns public about dangers of all-metal hip implants, especially for women | Depuy Hip Recall (earlsview.com)
- US Drug Watchdog Urges All ASR DePuy Hip Implant Recipients to Get Identified and Lists the Most Common Symptoms of a Hip Implant Failure (earlsview.com)
- Will Flawed All-Metal Hip Replacements Cost J&J and Zimmer $5 Billion? (forbes.com)
- Failing hip implants will cost billions to replace (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
- Recalled DePuy ASR Hip Implant Lawsuits Filed By The Law Offices Of John David Hart – TheStreet (earlsview.com)
- New Data On Skyrocketing Hip Failure Rates Echoed In Bernstein Liebhard LLP’s Clients (prweb.com)
- DePuy Hip Recall | Pinnacle Hip Recall News (earlsview.com)
- Zimmer knee replacement manufacturer sued for metal on metal design | Louisiana Record (earlsview.com)
Earl's View 
I happen to be one of the lucky ones that am SO thankful for my Metal on Metal BHR’s because they were placed perfectly and function like normal hips do. I had my first one done over six years ago and went back a year ago for my other side right in the middle of all the scare going on out there. I am sorry to all those that had unfortunate situations and misplaced components, or got a recalled device like the ASR but there are MANY many of us out here living perfectly normal active and happy lives with LOW metal levels because we got a good implant that was placed correctly. My daughter will probably need a hip within the next few years and I hope to god they still have BHR’s around for her, and I care more about her health then I do my own. There is nothing wrong with metal on metal IF it is placed correctly and you did not get a defective ASR device, unless you happen to be one of the very rare less than 1% of the cases that has a true metal allergy. You guys are the minority, the majority of BHR patients that went to REALLY skilled and experienced surgeons are extremely happy with our devices and wouldn’t have it any other way.
Vicky
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i would think that of the 85 – 95% of metal on metal working at an “acceptable” level there are many who don’t know they have a problem yet or are being told everything is fine by their doctors, don’t you think??
Absolutely – many people just put up with the pain and grind without realising there is a solution – the surgeons imply it is all normal or in their mind and so they carry on, not happy.
Earl
Now see, I get no pain and no grinding and my implants are placed perfectly because I have had opinions in person at several orthopaedic conferences from a LOT of different surgeons that did not know who’s x-rays they were looking at. And my last metal test came back absolutely normal. So NOT all metal on metal is bad, there are just too many of us out here with success stories, especially with the BHR. Again, I am so sorry for those of you that are having problems but it is NOT a problem that we will all have. Katie Ellis just celebrated over 20 years with her metal on metal implant, had two healthy children and her hips are still going strong.
http://www.hipresurfacingsite.com/Hip-Stories/20090321408/Other-Patients/Katie-Ellis/menu-id-30.html
Vicky
Vicky
as you are aware this site deals with the 5 – 50% affected by metal on metal hips – not the successful ones as much. Earlsview provides a forum for those who would otherwise have no collective voice. When Toyota had several cars brake systems failed they recalled hundreds of thousands of cars as a precaution. Here we have much higher failure rates and only DePuy has faced up to the problem. So if DePuy patients (individuals) are compensated for a failure why shouldn’t someone with a Biomet or S&N failure be compensated. I have had 5 years of hell so far as you know – others are worse. According to the surgeons earlier on, alignment was perfect – but the MoM still wore and poisoned my bone. Until June 2010 I was told everything was fine. Yeah right. I knew it wasn’t but I wanted to believe my surgeon. Many others are in the same position taking the surgeon’s word and feeling like an absolute failure because it still hurts like hell, pops and grinds.
Metal on Metal is not always bad but the risk are a lot higher as you know. The stat’s point that out.
I don’t see Hip Resurfacing surviving as metal on metal – using other materials, I buy into all the benefits – but not metal on metal.
My view is the benefit of the BHR is in the design but the material selection has ruined its reputation and many 10’s of thousands of lives with it.
So I am happy to defend HR but NOT MoM.
Earl