Investigation into metal on metal hip implants welcomed

Lawyers from Leigh Day & Co have welcomed the announcement that medical regulators are to launch an investigation into the safety of metal hip replacements following fears that thousands of British patients are at risk of being poisoned by the implants.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said it had taken "prompt action" over the safety concerns, after an investigation by the Sunday Telegraph found more than 30,000 British patients have received the "metal-on-metal" (MoM) hip replacements which are now feared to be more dangerous than previously thought.

Friction between the metal ball and cup causes tiny metal filings to break off and there is the potential for these to seep into the blood. These fragments can also cause a soft tissue reaction, destroying muscle and bone.

The newspaper said there are growing concerns that the implants could also cause "systemic toxicity" in the body, prompting the MHRA to start drawing up new advice for those fitted with them.

In April 2010, the MHRA, which is responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work and are acceptably safe, issued an alert to healthcare professionals over the safety of metal implants.

It came after some patients began suffering soft tissue reactions "to the wear debris associated with MoM articulations".

The MHRA advised that people fitted with the devices should undergo annual check-ups for five years following surgery.

It also said that those experiencing pain should be given tests to check the levels of cobalt and chromium in their blood, and an MRI or ultrasound scan to check for soft tissue reactions.

In September 2010, DePuy International Limited, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, announced it was urgently recalling two types of its ASR metal hip replacement implants.

It came after data from the National Joint Registry of England And Wales found "failure rates" of 13% for the ASR XL Acetabular system and 12% for the ASR Hip Resurfacing System. However, a report by the British Hip Society says failure rates of the Acetabular system could actually be as high as 50% six years after surgery.

Bozena Michalowska, Partner at Leigh Day & Co which is representing more than 300 victims of the MoM implants, said: "We have known for some time the perils of these implants and their widespread use has meant we are now seeing hundreds of cases from people who have received these components.”

"The MHRA needs to be fully able to assess these products before they are implanted and not just pick up the pieces many years after the damage has been done."