Imagine a hip replacement that squeaks loudly and regularly, interfering with daily life -- including the most intimate moments. At first, patients who have experienced the squeaking suspected loose floorboards or banisters that need repair. But no such luck. Turns out, according to a report in The New York Times, the noise was coming from their own ceramic-on-ceramic hip replacements. The story is shocking to read -- but nothing compared to the shock you feel after watching YouTube videos of the hips that squeak. You won't believe your ears!

• YouTube Video #1: Hip Squeaking
• YouTube Video #2: Hip Squeaking

Ceramic hips were developed as an improvement over traditional hip replacements that are made of metal and plastic. Ceramic hips were supposed to be more durable than metal/plastic or metal/metal hip prostheses. Any hip replacement is capable of a little noise from time to time but squeaking was not a major issue until ceramic hips were first marketed in 2003. How many ceramic hips have been implanted and how many are affected by squeaking? There are tens of thousands of ceramic hips but estimates vary when it comes to figuring out how many are affected by the squeaking. One study says about 7%, Stryker (a maker of the ceramic hip) says it is less than 1%. The bigger question is what should a patient do? Should the patient "watch and wait" or should they undergo a revision surgery to remove the hip before catastrophic failure occurs? Surgeons, patients, and lawyers will be looking for solutions.

Related Resources:

• Ceramic Hip Replacement Surgery
• Hip Replacement: What You Need to Know
• Hip Osteoarthritis: What You Need to Know
• Are You Too Young for Joint Replacement?
• Joint Replacement: When Is the Right Time?

_{Photo by Pamela Burley (iStockphoto)}