How to Tell If You Have a Defective Hip Implant?
If you had hip replacement surgery, it's important to know the signs of a bad implant so you can get the right help if needed. If you don't know what kind of hip implant you have, ask your surgeon. If you have any of these symptoms, your implant might be defective:
- Pain when moving your leg
- Pain when moving in general
- Pain at the hip implant site
- Hip coming out of place
- Pain in your belly and groin
- Losing muscle because you can't move well
- Trouble walking or standing because your hip feels unstable
- Damage to tissue around your hip
- Losing bone mass
- Swelling at the hip implant site
- Losing muscle in your leg because you can't move well
Again, if you are experiencing any of these symptoms, talk to your doctor immediately. They might do blood tests to check for metal poisoning called "metallosis." They could also do an MRI or x-ray to look for dead tissue, implant failure, or hip dislocation. After looking at all your symptoms, they will decide if your hip implant needs to be replaced.