Thousands of hip replacement patients may be at risk of metal poisoning due to hidden wear and tear of the implants used, campaigners warn.
The problems stem from a type of ‘flexible’ prosthesis used in Britain between 2009 and 2017, mainly among younger patients who were thought to benefit most from it.
However, it was later discovered that these implants, which contained cobalt components, could break down, causing small pieces of metal to leak into the bloodstream.
Cobalt poisoning has been linked to memory loss, depression, vision and hearing problems, heart failure and nerve damage.
Although it has been decommissioned, around 5,000 patients are believed to have had cobalt implants and patient groups are now urging the NHS to contact anyone known to have had one so they can be checked.
The problems stem from a type of flexible hip implant used in Britain between 2009 and 2017, mainly among younger patients who were thought to benefit most from it.
One woman has publicly told how a hip implant she received in 2014 had a devastating impact on her.
Former fitness instructor Tracey O’Neill had hoped the procedure would help her regain her mobility when she first went for the operation at the age of 46.
Instead, she has struggled with health issues for years, leaving her feeling like she is “trapped in the body of a 90-year-old,” which at one point caused people to question her sanity.
Ms O’Neill, who had a second similar implant installed in her hip in 2015, first noticed general pain and swelling around the joint.
In 2019, she suffered from shortness of breath and fatigue, as well as problems with her heart.
“I got to the point where I couldn’t even get off the floor during a simple yoga class,” she said The Telegraph.
‘Sometimes I would talk to people and just forget the next word. People would think I just lost my marbles.”
Although Ms O’Neill suffered from these problems for years and the NHS halted the general use of these implants in 2017 after the risks became apparent, it wasn’t until 2020 that medics made the link between her symptoms and the artificial joint.
She is now 56 and has since undergone surgery to remove the first implant and replace it with an implant made of alternative material. The second implant is checked for signs of wear.
It is estimated that 100,000 such patients worldwide had such an implant, with several thousand people in Britain undergoing hip replacements during the period when they became more widely used.
Ms O’Neil claims no one from the NHS has taken responsibility for the lack of follow-up into the cause of her symptoms, and fears many other patients could find themselves in a similar situation.
The cobalt chrome implants were originally touted as innovative when they were first launched because they had greater flexibility than standard artificial joints and retained more of the patient’s original healthy tissue.
However, it was later discovered that the wear between the metal parts of the implant could cause small metal particles to enter the bloodstream.
These can then react with the body’s natural fluids, creating a chemical battery reaction, which can cause a host of potential health problems.
Campaigners and charities have now called for an urgent investigation by medical safety regulators and for the NHS to ensure that all patients are notified and offered monitoring for cobalt poisoning and revision surgery if necessary. Stock image
It is estimated that 100,000 patients worldwide have had cobalt implants.
Not all of these implants are expected to fail, but campaigners say every patient who has one should be monitored to ensure their continued integrity.
Dennis Reed, director of Silver Voices, which campaigns for the over-60s, called on the NHS and medical safety authorities to urgently identify those who may have received these implants.
“All potentially affected patients should be contacted and their current health status assessed, with an option for hip replacement if deemed necessary,” he said.
Although many surgeons have moved away from using the implants due to increased failure rates and health concerns, they are still technically available as an option that is not being banned.
Other implants using cobalt chrome are also still used, although these are combined with other materials that reduce the risk of wear and tear on the older models.
However, some surgeons have called for hip replacements to avoid the use of cobalt in any implant, fearing its toxicity.
In response to calls for action, the UK’s medical device regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, said it is continuing to monitor the safety of hip implants and is seeking expert advice on whether action is needed on reports of problems.
A spokesperson for NHS England added that the health service would support any action deemed appropriate by regulators.
University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, which carried out Ms O’Neill’s original operation, said they were sorry to hear of her difficulties.
A spokesperson added that there was no evidence of problems with the implants in 2014, and follow-ups were not mandatory for patients in Ms O’Neill’s circumstances.