A primary concern facing the American public is the safety issues associated with the metal-on-metal hip implants used for hip replacement surgery. As the Baby Boomers in our society continue to age and continue to desire an active lifestyle, more and more hip replacement surgeries are taking place.

The DePuy ASR hip implant was approved by the FDA in 2005 following approval of its predecessor, the Pinnacle, in 2000. In fact, the ASR hip implant gained FDA approval by claiming it was substantially equivalent to the Pinnacle—even though the Pinnacle has its own set of problems.

Last week the FDA issued the latest safety communication regarding metal-on-metal hip implants. Prior to this safety communication the FDA had instructed the manufacturers of all-metal hip replacement systems to conduct post-market surveillance studies of the metal hip devices believing the data received from these studies would provide the necessary information regarding the safety of the implants.

If you are the recipient of a metal-on-metal hip implant, you may have been exposed to cobalt and chromium metals accumulating in your body. In the all-metal hip implants—or the implants which utilize a ceramic ball yet still use a metal liner—when the implant recipient engages in activity, the metal components rub against one another, creating friction. This friction releases microscopic metal ions into the body which will either travel into the bloodstream or will become lodged in the surrounding tissues.

Unlike its all-metal counterparts, the Stryker Rejuvenate has a much smaller metal surface area which can corrode and lead to metal ions being released into the body, however the eventual harmful effects of the Rejuvenate can be just as serious.