Failure documentation offers tips for hip replacement

An archive of failed joint replacements has provided tips to researchers on how to build better hip replacements.

The study at the Hospital for Special Surgery is the first comprehensive analysis of how mental-on-metal total hip replacements are failing patients.

It is hoped that the archive of malfunctions and inefficiencies will help researchers develop better hip substitutes in the future.

Dr Timothy Wright, leader of the study, commented: "We still use metal implants. We may rub them against polyethylene instead of against another metal, but anything we can learn about these mechanisms of damage could be important."

Moreover, he suggests that the actual physical structure of the implants and not the metal itself could be to blame for problems in current models.

A mother from Surrey has recently begun a court case in an attempt to get compensation for her hip replacement failure.

Susanna Derham had to give up work after her metal hip wore away only four years after it had been fitted.

Find the nearest Barchester care home.