Metal-on-metal hip replacement implants hub

Hip replacement implants are used to replace damaged or painful hip joints—most often due to degeneration, but sometimes from birth defects or injury. They replace the hip’s “ball and socket” (the femoral head and acetabulum) with metal, plastic, or ceramic components.

In 2009, DePuy ASR metal-on-metal (MoM) implants were withdrawn in Australia after registry data showed higher-than-expected early revision rates. While not all MoM implants have shown the same issue, concerns remain about potential health effects from metal particles and ions released as the implants wear.