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1st
appeared 12 February 1999
Bone Cement Used in Total Hip Replacements Slowly Degrades
Over Time
A new study led by UCSF researchers has found that acrylic bone
cement, often used to attach total hip replacements to bone, degrades in the body over
time and may contribute to the loosening in cemented total hip replacements.
"This is the first study that shows there is a chemical breakdown in the structure of
the cement," said Michael Ries, lead investigator of the study, UCSF associate
professor of orthopaedic surgery, and orthopaedic surgeon at the UCSF Arthroplasty Center,
part of UCSF Stanford Health Care. "The findings can be used to improve the longevity
of cemented total hip replacements."
Ries and research colleagues presented study findings on February 4 at the annual meeting
of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in Anaheim, CA.
A total hip replacement is a successful treatment for arthritis in the hip, said Ries. If
severe arthritis is treated without surgery, often the pain can be so great that walking
is no longer possible and a wheelchair is the only option for mobility, he added.
In a total hip replacement, the hip joint is replaced with a metal ball attached to a
metal stem fitted into the upper portion of the thigh bone and a plastic socket is
implanted into the pelvis, replacing the damaged socket. Approximately 50 to 60 percent of
total hip replacements use cement to anchor the ball and socket into the bone, according
to Ries.
One possible complication of a total hip replacement, he said, is the metal ball and
plastic socket may become loose, resulting in pain. If loosening is significant, a
revision of the joint replacement may be needed. About 90 percent of hip replacements last
10 years and 80 percent last 20 years.
Links:
Full press release
Orthopaedic Surgery
Source: Lordelyn P. del Rosario, News
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