Massachusetts General Hospital

Harry E. Rubash, MD

Harry E. Rubash, M.D.

Edith M. Ashley Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery
Harvard Medical School

2011-12 Chief's Report

MGH Center for Metal-on-Metal Total Hip Replacement

Due to its potential advantages of low-wear and increased stability, metal-on-metal (MoM) total hip replacement (THR) accounted for 35 percent of bearing surface utilization in patients in the United States (2008 data). However, the national joint registries worldwide have recently reported a two-to-three-fold higher failure rate of THR with MoM bearings than contemporary THR with non-met¬al-on-metal bearings.

 

Since its creation in 2011, under the direction of Dr. Young-Min Kwon, the MGH Center for Metal-on-Metal Total Hip Replacement Evaluation and Treatment continues to conduct cutting-edge research and provide state-of-the-art comprehensive care to patients with metal-on-metal total joint replacements. The Center combines the multi-disciplinary expertise of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, the Harris Orthopaedic Laboratory and the Orthopaedic Bioengineering Laboratory. The MGH Center for Metal-on-Metal Total Hip Replacement is committed to improving the treatment and care of patients with metal-on-metal implant devices by integrating various specialized tests to provide critical evaluation and specific advice for patients with metal-on-metal implants.

 

In addition, the Center’s surgeon-scientists continue to engage in translational research, sharply focused on fulfilling the needs of at-risk patients with MoM hip implants, and transforming their laboratory discoveries into clinical practice.

 

The Center’s research has been featured at numerous symposia and podium presentations at the Orthopaedic Research Society, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and the American Academy of Hip and Knee Surgeons. Dr. Kwon was recently invited by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to advise and present the Center’s research to the FDA’s Medical Devices Expert Advisory Committee on Metal-on-Metal Hips.

 

If you would like to refer a patient, friend, or family member to our Center, please contact us at 877-644-3889 or visit our website at http://www.massgeneral.org/ortho/metal-on-metal.

 

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