RT Journal
A1 Maloney, William J.
T1 The Role of Orthopaedic Device Registries in Improving Patient Outcomes
JF The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery
JO The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery
YR 2011
FD December 21
VO 93
IS 24
SP 2241
OP 2241
DO 10.2106/JBJS.9323edit
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.2106/JBJS.9323edit
AB 

      Recent failure of metal-on-metal bearing surfaces utilized in total hip replacement has once again led to renewed interest in joint replacement registries. The current mechanisms that are in place to monitor hip and knee device performance are clearly inadequate and do not serve the interest of patients, surgeons, or device manufacturers. Failure to adequately monitor implant performance and provide feedback to surgeons and hospitals is unfortunately not a new problem. There was widespread discussion of this issue after the Sulzer hip replacement recall (December 2000), leading Kenneth Chang from The New York Times to write “No one keeps complete track of who has what.”1 Unfortunately, not much has changed since that time. As the great philosopher Yogi Berra once said, “It's like déjà vu, all over again.”