News
MHRA update guidance to metal-on-metal hip patients
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) today issued updated advice to surgeons that patients with a particular type of metal-on-metal hip replacement should be monitored annually for the life of the hip replacement. This updates previous advice from April 2010 that patients with this type of hip replacement need only be monitored for a minimum of five years after their operation.
The updated advice is included in a new MHRA Medical Device Alert that has been issued to clinicians today for the management of patients with these hip implants to minimise the risk of having to undergo further surgery to correct complications.
An expert advisory group was set up by the MHRA to look at the management of patients with soft tissue swelling associated with metal-on-metal hip implants. This group meets regularly to evaluate new scientific advice and observations from clinicians. This updated advice is based on updated evidence that patients with hip replacements with head diameter of 36 millimetres or more need to be monitored every year.
Monitoring advice for patients with other hip implants including other metal-on-metal hip replacements with a head diameter smaller than 36 millimetres and metal-on-metal hip resurfacing devices has not changed.
The full press release is here.
Last modified: Tue, 06 Mar 2012 10:46:04 GMT