Ban on Metal-on-Metal Hip Replacements Recommended

Researchers called for a ban on future use of metal-on-metal implants for hip replacement in a review published in a recent issue of The Lancet. They also recommended careful monitoring of patients who are implanted with the devices, particularly young women implanted with large diameter heads.

The review-based on data from the National Joint Registry of England and Wales, the largest database on hip replacements-provides unequivocal evidence confirming the high failure rate of metal-on-metal hip replacements, the researchers suggested. Because more than an estimated 500,000 patients in the United States have metal-on-metal hip replacements, the findings and recommendations may have major ramifications in patient care and management.