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May 19, 2008 5:05 pm US/Eastern
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'Squeaky' Hip Replacements Worry Some Patients
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
After a hip replacement, some patients are getting used to a new sound - their hip squeaking.
It's more common with ceramic hip replacements. The reason for the squeaking isn't clear and it doesn't seem to be happening as much with plastic or metal hips.
"I choose metal on plastic because it's tried and true, it's the more traditional method, and so I know there's a long history behind it," Dr. Yram Groff, who practices orthopedics at West Penn Hospital, said.
Seven percent of patients getting the ceramic hips between 2003 and 2005 report squeaking.
"I think the incidence of squeaking is low enough that it's not going to drive ceramics away," Groff said.
Doctors say people with ceramic hip replacements that squeak should evaluate how much of a nuisance it is.
"Unfortunately, the solution to the squeak is very dramatic. It's another operation. So if it's a small kind of annoyance, they should just live with it and accept it as a normal part of their hip," Groff said.
Squeaking hips that have been removed show signs of wear, but they still look like their durability would hold up.
More serious complications can happen with a hip replacement, such as infection, dislocation and uneven leg lengths.
In general, hip replacements have a 90 percent success rate in getting people their mobility back.
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