FDA to Convene in June on Safety of Metal-on-Metal Hips
The FDA announced on March 28, 2012, that it will finally convene an advisory committee in June to regarding the safety of metal-on-metal hip implants. Studies have shown that metal-on-metal hip implants wear down quickly and generate metallic debris. Such debris can cause pain, inflammation, swelling, tissue damage around the joint, and bone destruction in some patients. Studies have also shown that metal-on-metal hip implants are more likely than other types of hips to need revision surgery within a short period of time.
Health regulators in the U.K. have urged their citizens to undergo annual examinations for as long as they have a metal-on-metal hip in place. Last year in the U.S., the FDA ordered metal-on-metal hip manufacturers to conduct post-market surveillance studies due to serious safety concerns. To date, only one particular model called the “ASR” (manufactured by DePuy/Johnson & Johnson) has been recalled in the United States.
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