For all those who are unaware of the fact, the hip joint is known to be the largest of all joints present in a human body. Therefore it is easy to understand why it is a significant part of us. You depend all your ways of mobility on this joint and its wellbeing is connected to yours. The hip joint looks like a ball and socket connecting; there is a ball shaped end to the thigh bone that fits into a socket protruding from the pelvic. Any disturbance in the smooth movement of this joint can cause pain and other forms of abnormality. The hip joint is most commonly affected by osteoarthritis; however other forms of disorders could be caused by an injury, accident or soft tissue pain. Treatments include medication and walking but due to the severity of a condition doctors may advise surgery too. Surgery involves implantation of a medical device known as the hip replacement device.
DePuy introduced their ASR hip replacement system in July and became another example of failure of technology. The design of the device was not appropriate as it caused metal friction which let loose a huge amount of metal ions in the bloodstream. Metal ions when in the bloodstream prove poisonous and also destroy the soft connective tissues around the joint which further causes pain and swelling. Many patients were found returning to their doctors with complaints regarding their replacement devices a lot sooner than expected. The percentage of patients requesting revision surgery was ample enough for the company to recall the product. The company also had to face negative publicity due to the Depuy Asr Lawsuit case being discussed everywhere!