Men with problematic metal-on-metal hip implants who undergo resurfacing procedures tend to recover better than women, but both sexes benefit from the technique, a new study has found.
Researchers, writing in the The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery (British Volume), said an analysis of hip resurfacings performed in 213 patients found nearly 95 percent survived more than 10 years after surgery. They also experienced better “functional outcomes and durability.”

But when researchers took a closer look at the gender breakdown of the cases, they found men fared better than women after the procedure.
The survival rate in women was 89.1 percent, compared to 97.5 percent for men. Women were also 1.4 times more likely to suffer failure than men.
Researchers said results confirm that resurfacing is a good option for men, but suggested “we are now reluctant to undertake hip resurfacing in women with this implant.”

Concerns about all-metal implants have been growing in recent years, with many patients reporting failures shortly after implantation and a new study in the British Medical Journal this week reporting implants can leach toxic cobalt and chromium ions into the body.