A Call for a Warning System on Artificial Joints

The New York Times—July 29, 2008

In response to longstanding complaints from doctors and patients, Zimmer Holdings announced last week that it would be suspending sales of its artificial hip device, known as the Durom cup, until it trained doctors on the proper way to implant it.

NOTE: The Durom cup is not in use at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.

Leading doctors in the field are convinced that a national artificial joint registry would be beneficial in tracking mass equipment issues — such as with the Durom cup — and also that the statistical data that it could yield would help hospitals and organizations analyze patterns in the growing population with at least one artificial joint. Hospital for Special Surgery has recently set up its own registry, explained HSS Surgeon-in-Chief Thomas P. Sculco, M.D. (Learn more about HSS patient registries.)

Several other national organizations have followed suit with their own private registries, but as of yet there is no national artificial joint registry.

Read the full article at nytimes.com.