No increased cancer risk from metal-on-metal hip implants

Metal-on-metal hip implants do not increase the risk of cancer in the short term after the surgery, according to an examination of a national joint registry of arthroplasties, a recent study found.

The study investigators, from the United Kingdom, based their research on data from the National Joint Registry of England and Wales. The registry, established in 2003, is the largest arthroplasty database in the world.

Researchers assessed linked data of 40,576 patients with metal-on-metal hip implants and 248,995 patients with alternative bearing surfaces and hospital episode statistics. Cancer in the first...