May 19, 2011

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Letter to Hip Makers Mean

What Does the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Letter to Hip Makers Mean?

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The U.S. FDA ordered 21 manufacturers to collect information from patients.

The U.S. FDA ordered 21 manufacturers to collect information from patients in a recent letter to hip manufacturers. Click here for report. The three-page letter demands blood tests and other studies within thirty days. Here is a summary of the information and questions the FDA is requiring from manufacturers:

  • The harmful events observed in patients with Metal-on-Metal (MoM) total hip replacement (THR) systems.
  • The levels of serum and chromium in patients prior to THR.
  • The patient population's average levels of chromium and serum in the blood for a minimum of eight years after the implant (patient population is the demographics and other particulars of a particular population).
  • Do the average levels of chromium and serum in the blood increase during the first eight years (or the length of time on the market)?
  • Reasons for revision (alteration of a medical device) and patient population's average levels of chromium and serum in the blood at the time of the revision.
  • The number of patients with pain and biological and psychological symptoms associated with the THR.
  • The quantity of harmful reaction of body tissues in patients who did not have a revision.
  • How differences in revisions vary over time after the initial implant?
  • What demographics have higher metal ion concentrations in their blood?
  • What demographics have higher risks of needing revisions?
  • What causes the THRs to fail?