Breakthrough could prevent hip implant replacement

by Amy Pullan

New research could prevent secondary hip replacements

Hip implants rely on the normal functioning of bone cells to achieve fixation of the implant with the bone. However, small metal particles released from hip implants, due to friction between the moving surfaces, have been shown to be toxic to the surrounding bone cells.

This causes the implant to loosen in the bone and often leads to patients requiring second surgery to replace the failed implant.

Using X-ray light from the Diamond Light Source, the UK’s synchrotron science facility at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire, researchers were able to map the locations of metals inside bone cells.

The findings, published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research, show that the location of the metals that are released from implants is different inside bone building and bone destroying cells.

Read full article here Breakthrough could prevent hip implant replacement.