On the Trail of the Squeaky Hip Implant

Mahwah, NJImagine the embarrassment that ensues when your golfing buddies no longer wish to play with you because every time you bend down to pick up a tee or your golf ball—your artificial hips squeak. There are various scenarios by which to categorize Hip & Knee Replacement Implant Failure—but squeaking hips appear to be a relatively recent phenomenon.

A number of YouTube videos, posted by various users, demonstrate these noises. The sound of the "squeak" is unmistakable. One gentleman featured is walking leisurely up a flight of stairs. The caption to the video, uploaded June 29, 2009, indicates "this is the sound a $40,000.00 Stryker Ceramic on Ceramic hip makes…"

Other YouTube videos feature similar squeaking noises accompanying routine activity, such as walking. Most videos appear to be associated with Stryker.

Now, the renowned Mayo Clinic has weighed in with a YouTube video of its own featuring a medical professional articulating the issue of the squeaking hip. To that end, the Mayo Clinic Biomechanics Laboratory released a report at a meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) in 2009 after conducting 11,000 cycles of tests in a mechanical simulator.

They concluded that, indeed, recipients of artificial knee and hips have a bit more to be frustrated about than setting off the metal detectors at airports. The squeaking, it turns out, appears to be associated with implants fashioned from alumina ceramic-on-ceramic and is caused when film fluid between the two moving parts is for some reason disrupted.

That disruption could be from an imperfect alignment or positioning of the implant surfaces, or the introduction of minute particles that stem from wear and tear.

Robert Trousdale, MD, was identified as the lead investigator for the Mayo Clinic. He noted that a small amount of lubricant, added in the lab, solved the problem. Such a solution will not be easily replicated in the field, although Dr. Trousdale noted that the research conducted at the Mayo Clinic may help foster an improved implant design that results in less material transfer and disruption.

As for the squeak, anyone considering a Hip Replacement Lawsuit may want to know that in the Mayo Clinic's experience, once the squeak started, it did not stop.

We do not know the outcome of the situation regarding the man with the squeaky hip whose golf foursome gave up on him.

In February, the US Food and drug Administration (FDA) granted 510(k) clearance for Stryker's MDM X3 Modular Dual Mobility Mobile Bearing Hip System. Stryker was reported as having enjoyed strong performance in the hip reconstruction market last year.