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FDA Claims All MoM Hip Replacements Are Hazardous

in DePuy ASR Hip Replacements, Product Liability Claims

The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) – the regulator of medical devices in the USA – has issued a warning that all metal-on-metal (MoM) hip replacements could be hazardous.

The FDA claims come six months after the DePuy ASR hip recall in Ireland which was due to a “higher than expected” failure rate,  and identifies all MoM hip replacements as being capable of causing the same injuries as witnessed with the recalled DePuy hip devices.

The main concerns of the FDA are “adverse reactions to metal debris” which are attributable to microscopic metal particles released into the bloodstream when friction occurs between the metal ball and cup of the implant.

Typical symptoms of an “adverse reaction” include pain, rashes and inflammation around the area of the implant, but the FDA have recommended that recipients of MoM hip replacements pay close attention to their general health, with particular focus on changes in the following areas:-

  • The kidneys (a change in urination habits)
  • The heart (chest pains or shortage of breath)
  • The thyroid (fatigue, feeling cold and weight gain)
  • The nerves (numbness, weakness and changes in vision or hearing)

Advice issued by the FDA is that, as recipients of MoM hip replacements will be affected in different ways by the presence of metal particles in their blood, any changes in the health of somebody implanted with a MoM hip replacement should be brought to the attention of their doctor immediately.