It isn’t just MoM prosthesis that’s a problem.

In Sept 2006 I had a total hip replacement. The surgeon used a ESKA dual-modular short stem with metal on-polyethylene bearing.

Just like this: http://www.boneandjoint.org.uk/highwire/filestream/58842/field_highwire_article_pdf/0/895.full.pdf

The cup is now loose and tiny pieces that are fastened (how?) to the cup for the bone to grow into are now breaking off just like this:

http://www.healio.com/orthopedics/journals/ORTHO/%7BB9B3317A-E0CA-4374-B419-265A2CED6E63%7D/Macroscopic-Third-body-Wear-Caused-by-Porous-Metal-Surface-Fragments-in-Total-Hip-Arthroplasty?full=1

I now have elevated cobalt (4.6 mcg/L) and chromium (2.4mcg/L) levels.

Not off the chart but way high for not having a MoM hip joint. And I do have plenty of pain, some times way more than enough.

Now my new surgeon is trying to determine which place is causing the problem prior to opening up the leg. My former surgeon missed the metal pieces in the x-rays until this September when it became real obvious that the cup had rotated quite a lot.

Going back through the x-rays (I only have back to 10/26/10) you can see the pieces accumulating. Two more from 9/17/12 x-ray to 10/11/12 x-ray. Really hoping he doesn’t have to take the piece out of the femur.

My ESKA hip joint seems not to have been used much in the U.S. As far as I can tell it has not been recalled. It has been discontinued in Australia (see top link above). The company had received a warning letter from the FDA in 2006 (the year of my implant) outlining manufacturing problems, I do not know the outcome of that.

http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/2006/ucm075909.htm

Winters coming on with snow plowing and all that goes with snow and living in the mountains. Right now I’m not of much use! Puts a lot more on my wife. Plus the hospital and surgeon are now 150 miles away.

I’m 77 so we need to get this done soon.

I’ve been complaining about the pain since at least early 2009 (always the x-rays look fine to the surgeon) and I finally am finding some answers thanks to my searching the internet.

All very interesting if I didn’t have other things to do and it wasn’t my hip I was doing all the research on (I have lots of it). I realize that the Doctors don’t always have time to read all the research papers that are out there, so if you are having problems get on the internet and search and research!

Thanks, Earl for your site!

Paul

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