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BHR, Birmingham, Daily Mail, DePuy, Hip Replacement, hip resurfacing, McMinn, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
Mr McMinn Addresses Negative Press Against Hip Resurfacing
http://www.mcminncentre.co.uk/news-archive.html1st February 2012
Metal-on-Metal Implants – Addressing the Negative Press
We have been receiving phone calls following recent press reports on failed metal-on-metal hip implants. We understand these sensationalist stories may cause anxiety among some patients. However, we would like to reassure our patients that these reports mostly concern failures with the DePuy ASR and the DePuy ASR XL, not the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing (BHR).
Many press reports imply these failures relate to all metal-on-metal hip resurfacings. A patient featured in a recent Daily Mail article, like many others, had a failed ASR. A critical point, omitted from the print version of the Daily Mail, can be found in the full on line version. As well as her ASR, the patient had a BHR on her other hip. She comments, “I’ve never had a minute’s trouble from the Birmingham hip – if only I’d had it on both sides.”
High failure rates with the ASR and ASR XL have been widely documented. Both devices have now been withdrawn from the market. Research indicates the side effects, such as muscle damage, are specific to the ASR and do not apply to the BHR which is a very different device.
Earlier this week, the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) issued another statement about metal-on-metal hips, in which they say, “On the evidence currently available the majority of patients implanted with metal-on-metal hip replacements are at low risk of developing any serious problems.”
In addition to the MHRA’s guidance, we wish to emphasise that Mr McMinn’s results with the BHR show a 97% survival in men and women of all ages at 14.5 years. Furthermore, excellent results with the BHR have been documented in National Joint Registers from around the world.
Sadly, these ASR failures come as no surprise. Mr McMinn has been warning about the device since it went to market in 2003. You can see Mr McMinn’s argument against the ASR here http://www.mcminncentre.co.uk/research-lectures-debate.html. Furthermore, The McMinn Centre has put together several resources which address patients’ concerns and the differences between the ASR and BHR designs. These resources are as follows:
• The McMinn Research Team’s detailed response to list of questions on metal-metal implants & metal ions provided by hip resurfacing users here
• The McMinn Centre’s response to a Channel 4 documentary on metal-metal hip replacements here http://www.mcminncentre.co.uk/metal-ions-questions-answers.html
• An interview with a patient who has now had his McMinn metal-metal hip resurfacing for 20 years here
If you do have any concerns, please call The McMinn Centre on 0121 455 0411.
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Earl's View 
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I’ve had a revision of a Smith & Nephew BHR hip in Sept, 2011. My consultant found untold damage to tissue and muscle. Also my own pervic bone had become soft due to the metal of the hip. The metal content in my blood was high before the operation and am being checked now again. I still have pain after 6 mos after physio and hydrotherapy. Weak in certain movements. Have to be on painkillers again. A total disaster!
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I am appalled by Mr. McMinn’s, “assuaging, assuring” statement. I live for the day this bloody device is taken off the market, and reading his retort then!
From, Camille, another suffering, failing BHR recipient, still having an awful recovery from a revision in Feb.
I was just reading about the estimated 49% failure rate of J&J hips in England, and how BHR’s are doing
better than ever. I cannot speak to J&J devices, but i can say that I have had good dluck with my BHR as
you know. I just worked through my training logs in order to try and put together a plan for the EPICMan
Triple Ironman Race in December, and as a sidebar I tallied up my BHR miles.
My 6 1/2 year training averages are below:
Cycling 240 miles per week; 81,120 miles total = 24,446,000 BHR revolutions
Running 48 miles per week; 16,224 miles total = 11,681,280 BHR strides
Swimming 15,000 yards per week; 960 miles total = 9,328,800 BHR kicks
My stride rates and cycling cadence’s are computer monitored, so those are real numbers for the BHR turnovers.
The swimming kicks are very close, as I use a 2 beat cross-over kick, and my stroke count is always the
same for a given distance.
So, I have somewhere over 45 million cycles on this BHR, all heavily loaded, many in full race conditions. These
numbers do not reflect multiple weight lifting workouts per week. These would be in addition to these totals.
Today, my hip works better than it ever has, and is far less trouble than knees, shoulders and other aged parts
of my body!
Cory Foulk