Question: II. A marathon runner receives a Co-Cr hip implant (with a
non-crosslinked polyethylene cup liner…
II. A marathon runner receives a Co-Cr hip implant (with a
non-crosslinked polyethylene cup liner), goes through the necessary
physical therapy, and after clearing it with his doctor begins to
run again. During the first few months the runner feels great and
is able to train pain free, but after about a year starts to
complain about localized pain and “tenderness” in the replaced hip
joint. After visiting the doctor, the runner is told he has high
macrophage activity surrounding the hip replacement.
a. What is the root cause of the athlete’s pain and how has it
resulted in elevated macrophage activity?
b. How might the hip implant the runner received been modified
to avoid thisproblem, given his active lifestyle?
