Today in an article titled ‘Zimmer Durom Cup Problems Highlight Need for Joint Registry’ the New Yorks time highlighted the recent controversy surround the Zimmer hip implant recall and the need for a national database, called a joint registry.
“Hundreds of patients receiving Zimmer Durom Cup hip implants in the U.S. have been experiencing serious problems since the device was introduced in 2006. But it wasn’t until this past April, when a prominent surgeon went public with his concerns about the Durom Cup, that physicians learned of the widespread nature of the complaints. Now, patient advocates are calling for the creation of a national database, called a joint registry, that tracks how patients with artificial hips and knees are doing. Such a system, they argue, would quickly alert doctors and federal regulators to devices that have a high failure rate, possibly sparing tens of thousands of patients from severe, painful injuries.”