Baby Boomers and Medical Devices: The Good, Bad, and Ugly

The public tends to associate most medical devices with the elderly. The truth, however is that devices such as artificial hips and knees, and cardiovascular products such as pacemakers are used by patients of varied ages and that the use of many medical devices is becoming more common among the Baby Boomers and younger patients. In a recent article, The Star Tribune sought to illustrate that point with real-world examples. There is Peter Quimby, a 39-year old with a left ventricular assist device and defibrillator who is waiting for a heart transplant. The Tribune also mentioned the case of Jay Alva, a 53-year-old male who received artificial hips. Diagnosed at a young age with a degenerative hip condition, Alva couldn't play sports, run or even tie his shoelaces. After receiving artificial hip implants, Alva was able to take up his favorite sports activities again. While the surge in medical device utilization can new the lives of middle-age patients, some fear that long-term use of these devices could pose potential health hazards. For medical device manufacturers, the Baby Boomer demographic could prove a source of both growth and legal worries.Consider, for instance that in teh past decade, many Baby Boomers were the recipients of metal-on-metal hip implants, which were hailed as cutting-edge devices when they debuted. More recently, metal-on-metal hip implants have faced regulatory questions over their safety. Since this type of hip implant contains two metal surfaces that are in contact with each other, friction and shearing can lead to device failure in some patients. On top of this, friction between the metal ball and socket in these joints can cause metal particles to leach out of the device, entering a patient's cardiovascular system. Many patients who received metal on metal hip implants have been diagnosed with cobalt poisoning, a serious disease.For the most part, hip implants are relegated to the very old. With younger hip implant patients, these devices could potentially see 40 or 50 years of usage. For manufacturers, creating hip implants that last half a century could be a significant challenge.