LOS ANGELES -
62 year old Linda Dorman had her hip replaced
last month.
A new study in the Journal of the American
Medical Association finds women who undergo total hip replacement surgery face
a 29 percent higher risk of implant failure within the first three years than
men. Researchers explain smaller implants involve a smaller ball in the socket,
which can dislocate more easily.
The study also showed women who had
metal on metal implants had almost twice as many problems as men.
More than 300,000 Americans undergo
total hip replacement surgery every year. The overwhelming majority of these
operations, up to 98 percent, are
successful.
Still, experts say the food and drug
administration should require more testing on hip implants to find out which
ones work best with women's bodies and will last 15 to 20 years.
Linda had her surgery six weeks ago and
already feels a big difference.
She's enjoying her newfound mobility and
not worrying about the future.
The study looked at 35,140 patients who
underwent total hip replacement surgery. 57-percent of the patients were women
and the average age was almost 66 years old.
