Smith & Nephew release study results for metal-on-metal hip implants

Smith & Nephew released the results of a study for its Birmingham Hip Resurfacing (BHR) System. The 10-year study tracked the progress of the first 400 BHR patients in the UK and found that 99% were satisfied or extremely satisfied with the BHR procedure, according to a news release.

The study, conducted at the request of the FDA, included 258 males and 142 females with an average age of 53.2 years. In addition to patient satisfaction, the study also reported an Oswestry Modified Harris Hip Score averaging 92.5 points, an implant survival rate of 95.9% and a radiographic success rate of 99.7%, according to the release.

The distinctive metallurgy and design geometry both contribute to the success of the BHR system. The geometry replicates the hip’s natural ability to pull the body’s joint fluids into the space between the ball and socket. This reportedly creates a natural fluid layer between the femoral head and cup and decreases the metal wear between the two surfaces.

“These results further exemplify why the BHR Hip is unlike any other metal-on-metal implant,” John Soto, senior vice president for Smith & Nephew’s Global Hip Franchise, stated in the release. “Not only does the BHR Hip offer all the advantages of hip resurfacing, including bone-conservation, greater range of motion and decreased risk of dislocation, but it does so while maintaining implant survivorship rates that are on par with, or in some patient populations even better than, traditional total hip replacement which has long been considered the most successful orthopaedic surgical procedure for relieving chronic pain.”