The use of
graphite compound maybe helpful in designing safer hip replacement devices, medical research says. Graphite, which comes in flakes, originates comes from nature-grade, carbon-rich metamorphic rock. This discovery emerged from the recent study commissioned by the National Institutes of Health that was published in the medical journal, Science.
Graphite has been used as a lubricant for over a century. It is a classic lubricant, and it appears to form naturally, says Northwestern University professor of materials and engineering, Laurence Marks, in a Reuters report.
Implant device manufactures could utilize this study on graphites benefits to design safer metal-on-metal hip replacements, cites Reuters.
Now that we have a handle on how they are working and why they are working well, we can start to design them to make them better, Marks adds.
Situation of Recalled Hip Products Manufactured by Johnson & Johnson
As for Johnson & Johnson in particular, after information was out saying that the devices have defects in one out of eight clients, the ASR XL Acetabular System and the ASR Hip Resurfacing System were withdrawn. These devices were manufactured in 2003 by DePuy Orthopaedics Inc., a subsidiary company of Johnson & Johnson.
Many people could have avoided considerable pain, suffering and diminished quality of life if the company had acted in a responsible manner to known problems with these devices, according to the Australian Senate.
Among the health risks allegedly caused by DePuy hip devices are cancer due to the presence of chromium and cobalt in the blood, unexplained hip pain, hip dislocation, metal toxicity (metallosis), loosening of hip device, additional hip replacement surgery, detachment of hip device from the bone, pseudotumors, genetic damage (genotoxicty), bone fractures, bone loss, and tissue damages.
Escalating Number of Legal Complaints against Johnson & Johnson
As of early October 2010, there were already approximately 3,500 DePuy hip replacement lawsuits that have been filed against Johnson & Johnson in connection with their hip replacement devices. They were among those affected by the failures and defects (e.g. fractures, displacements, loosening) of DePuy devices.
