Specific MoM hip implant linked with increased risk of heart failure in men

ORLANDO, Fla.— Men who underwent primary hip arthroplasty with a specific, conventional large-head metal-on-metal implant by a single manufacturer had almost double the risk of heart failure than men who received a metal-on-polyethylene implant after rates were adjusted for age, according to a presenter at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting.

Although researchers found this correlation between the use of the ASR XL hip prosthesis (DePuy Synthes Joint Reconstruction) and the risk of heart failure in men, use of the implant did not have an effect on the heart failure rates of women who received the implant, said Stephen Graves, MD, at the meeting.

“As far as we are aware, this is the first cohort study to indicate an association with heart failure the use of the ASR XL prosthesis. The effect was evident in men. We were able to quantify the incidence in the study population, and the incidence was not small,” Graves said.

Using the Australian Government Department of Veterans’ Affairs health claim database, investigators included 2,115 men in the study. Of these primary hip replacement patients, 2,028 patients received a metal-on-polyethylene (MoP) implant and 87 patients received the ASR XL implant, he said.

Patients with the ASR XL implant had a significantly higher rate of hospitalization for heart failure. Graves and colleagues found the number needed to harm after 3 years for the ASR XL compared with the MoP implant was 10, meaning there was one additional heart failure hospitalization for every 10 patients treated with the ASR XL implant. – by Robert Linnehan

Reference:

Graves S, et al. Paper #179. Presented at: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting; March 1-5, 2016; Orlando, Fla.

Disclosure: Graves reports no relevant financial disclosures.