Graphite for Safer Design of Hip Implants
Posted by shem omana on Friday, January 6, 2012
Under: depuy lawsuit
The use of graphite compound maybe helpful in designing safer hip replacement devices, medical research says. Graphite, which comes in flakes, originates comes from nature-grade, carbon-rich metamorphic rock. The use of graphite was based on a recent study funded by the National Institutes of Health that was published in the medical journal, Science.
“Graphite has been used as a lubricant for over a century. It is a classic lubricant, and it appears to form naturally,” says Northwestern University professor of materials and engineering, Laurence Marks, in a Reuters report.
Artificial joint manufacturers could use this knowledge to design better metal-on-metal hip replacements that are less likely to grind and shed metal ions by exploiting the spontaneously forming graphite, reports Reuters.
“Now that we have a handle on how they are working and why they are working well, we can start to design them to make them better,” Marks adds.
Issue of Recalled Hip Implants of Johnson’s & Johnson
As for Johnson & Johnson in particular, after information was out saying that the devices have defects in one out of eight clients, the ASR XL Acetabular System and the ASR Hip Resurfacing System were withdrawn. These devices were manufactured in 2003 by DePuy Orthopaedics Inc., a subsidiary company of Johnson & Johnson.
“Many people could have avoided considerable pain, suffering and diminished quality of life if the company had acted in a responsible manner to known problems with these devices,” based on a statement of the Australian Senate.
Included in the list of the complications that may likely result from DePuy hip implants are loosening of hip device, additional hip replacement surgery, detachment of hip device from the bone, unexplained hip pain, hip dislocation, metal toxicity (metallosis), pseudotumors, genetic damage (genotoxicty), bone fractures, bone loss, tissue damages and cancer due to the presence of chromium and cobalt in the blood.
Increasing Number of Lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson
Around 3,500 DePuy hip replacement lawsuits have been pursued by affected patients against Johnson & Johnson. They were the suffering victims of DePuy product failures and defects, among them displacements, fractures and loosening.
References:
• usrecallnews.com/2010/09/depuy-hip-replacement-recalled-asr-artificial-hip-systems.html
• nytimes.com/2010/08/27/business/27hip.html
• tga.gov.au/newsroom/btn-dupuy-recall.htm
“Graphite has been used as a lubricant for over a century. It is a classic lubricant, and it appears to form naturally,” says Northwestern University professor of materials and engineering, Laurence Marks, in a Reuters report.
Artificial joint manufacturers could use this knowledge to design better metal-on-metal hip replacements that are less likely to grind and shed metal ions by exploiting the spontaneously forming graphite, reports Reuters.
“Now that we have a handle on how they are working and why they are working well, we can start to design them to make them better,” Marks adds.
Issue of Recalled Hip Implants of Johnson’s & Johnson
As for Johnson & Johnson in particular, after information was out saying that the devices have defects in one out of eight clients, the ASR XL Acetabular System and the ASR Hip Resurfacing System were withdrawn. These devices were manufactured in 2003 by DePuy Orthopaedics Inc., a subsidiary company of Johnson & Johnson.
“Many people could have avoided considerable pain, suffering and diminished quality of life if the company had acted in a responsible manner to known problems with these devices,” based on a statement of the Australian Senate.
Included in the list of the complications that may likely result from DePuy hip implants are loosening of hip device, additional hip replacement surgery, detachment of hip device from the bone, unexplained hip pain, hip dislocation, metal toxicity (metallosis), pseudotumors, genetic damage (genotoxicty), bone fractures, bone loss, tissue damages and cancer due to the presence of chromium and cobalt in the blood.
Increasing Number of Lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson
Around 3,500 DePuy hip replacement lawsuits have been pursued by affected patients against Johnson & Johnson. They were the suffering victims of DePuy product failures and defects, among them displacements, fractures and loosening.
References:
• usrecallnews.com/2010/09/depuy-hip-replacement-recalled-asr-artificial-hip-systems.html
• nytimes.com/2010/08/27/business/27hip.html
• tga.gov.au/newsroom/btn-dupuy-recall.htm
In : depuy lawsuit