'Squeaky' Hip Replacements Worry Some Patients
KDKA                  Pittsburg, Pennsylvania

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% success rate in getting
people their mobility back.

... No amount of careful planning will ever replace dumb luck.
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