Engineering and fabrication
What do you know about metal on metal hip replacement or metal dust causing cancer?
My husband's doctor is suggesting that he enter into a trial study on this new type of hip replacement. The doctor warned that metal dust will be created due to the rubbing of the 2 metal surfaces and will enter the entire rest of the body. He says that metal dust in the body increases the risk of cancer. We were wondering if anyone is aware of how great the increased risk is or any other related information.
Public Comments
- Your husband may want to read the info at these links, from a website developed as a service to patients by an ortho surgeon, translated into (slightly fractured) English:
http://totaljoints.info/metal_on_metal_total_hips.htm
http://totaljoints.info/bearing_surfaces.htm
The subject is still being debated and studied.
I'm curious: has the decision already been made to implant a MOM bearing? What was the reason for this particular choice? Or is he being asked to receive MOM so that he can take part in the trial? Is he particularly young and/or active? If not, what's in it for him to be a part of the trial since another material (ceramic/ceramic, highly xlinked poly on metal, or metal/poly) might also be possibilities and might be safer? Is he receiving a hip resurfacing (with the Birmingham hip) instead of hip replacement? (The Birmingham hip is MOM with the femur being capped with a metal ball instead of cut off as in total replacement.)
