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The NYT article cites a metal-on-metal revision rate of 1-3%, with women affected more frequently than men. A surgeon at Rush University who was quoted by the Times says he revises metal-on-metal hips at a rate of about "one a month." The failure rate is largely attributed to surgeon technique, such as how implant components are aligned. This connection is not entirely new, particularly in terms of resurfacing; it has been well-documented that resurfacing is a complex procedure with a steep learning curve.
While the Times may be among the first to bring major media attention to metal-on-metal, questions about wear debris and device failure have been circulating in the scientific and clinical community for some time. Suggestions that the revision rate is higher for resurfacing than a conventional THA have been corroborated in a recent review by the AAOS, which noted that data from three joint registries showed an increased revision rate for resurfacing. However, younger male OA patients may have a lower revision rate with resurfacing than a THA. Additionally, a poster presented at the AAOS annual meeting last year identified higher blood ...
