Vanishing Bone

Conquering a Stealth Disease Caused by Total Hip Replacements

William H. Harris,MD, DSc

Unravels the mystery of periprosthetic osteolysis, a never-before-seen disease which causes the massive destruction of bone in individuals with total hip replacements
Traces the disease from its discovery on a single x-ray to its elimination via the creation of a new material for hip implants
Includes compelling patient case reports woven through the narrative
Reveals the unique challenges faced by clinician-scientists who provide both patient care and conduct medical research

Vanishing Bone

Conquering a Stealth Disease Caused by Total Hip Replacements

William H. Harris,MD, DSc

Description

When dozens of holes appeared in a patient's femur alongside his hip prosthesis, experts were baffled as such a phenomenon had never been seen before. Over the first four decades of total hip surgery, the severe bone destruction multiplied, crippling many thousands of patients. Eventually identified as "periprosthetic osteolysis," this devastating disease affected over 1 million patients and was the leading cause of failure in total hip surgery. While total hip surgery dramatically reversed severe arthritis of the hip, the same operation simultaneously created a relentless 'particle generator' in the body. Ironically, in the effort to do good, doctors were simultaneously doing major harm.

Vanishing Bone: Conquering a Stealth Disease Caused by Total Hip Replacements takes readers on a detective adventure in contemporary medical science, from the identification of the cause of the disease through the complex process of affecting its cure. Dr. William H. Harris and his colleagues played an important role in solving the mystery of this disease, pointing to its molecular biology, recognizing the unusual wear of the prostheses, and ultimately developing a new material for use in the manufacture of hip implants. With more than 6 million people walking on this stable, low-wear material, the disease has been virtually eliminated among those with total hip replacements worldwide. Diseases are rarely observed, revealed, and eliminated in one lifetime. Vanishing Bone tells the captivating story of one such disease through an engaging account of scientific and medical innovation.

Vanishing Bone

Conquering a Stealth Disease Caused by Total Hip Replacements

William H. Harris,MD, DSc

Part I. Astonishing Discoveries
Chapter 1: The Game is Afoot!
Chapter 2: The Cart Before the Horse
Chapter 3: Uniquely Creative, but Dangerous
Chapter 4: The First Real Breakthrough
Chapter 5: Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch…
Chapter 6: Is It Really Cement Disease?
Chapter 7: An Unexpected First Step
Chapter 8: Flying Blind
Chapter 9: The Gamble Pays Off
Chapter 10: Success at Last!
Part II. Final Hurdles
Chapter 11: Terra Incognita: Here Be Dragons
Chapter 12: Suddenly, to the FDA
Chapter 13: A Regrettable Diversion
Chapter 14: Unforeseen Complications
Chapter 15: Panic
Chapter 16: Ubiquitous Success
Chapter 17: Reprise: The Reward of the Clinician-Scientist
Part III. Appendix
Further Reading
Timeline of Key Events
About the Author

Vanishing Bone

Conquering a Stealth Disease Caused by Total Hip Replacements

William H. Harris,MD, DSc

Author Information

William H. Harris, MD, DSc, Alan Gerry Clinical Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Emeritus, Harvard Medical School; Massachusetts General Hospital

William H. Harris, MD, DSc is the Alan Gerry Clinical Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Emeritus at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. The Harris Orthopaedic Laboratory at Massachusetts General was founded in 1969 and directed by Dr. Harris until 2004.

Vanishing Bone

Conquering a Stealth Disease Caused by Total Hip Replacements

William H. Harris,MD, DSc

Reviews and Awards

"The purpose is to artfully recreate the evolution of the tackling of a medical problem, prosthetic osteolysis...This is a dynamic, well-written book. It is written more for the lay person, but medical workers will love it as well. It is an essential book not only for a medical library, but also for every library and bookstore." - Samuel J. Chmell, MD, Doody's

"This book chronicles the quest to find a solution to one of the most common causes of long term failure of total hip replacement. William Harriss book on periprosthetic osteolysis is not only a must read for hip surgeons young and old, but will also be of interest to scientists, engineers and patients who have undergone one of the worlds most successful operations." - Phil Hopgood, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital

Vanishing Bone

Conquering a Stealth Disease Caused by Total Hip Replacements

William H. Harris,MD, DSc

From Our Blog

Dr. William H. Harris reflects on his career advancing orthopedic surgery

To mark the release of Vanishing Bone, in Part One of our Q&A with Dr. William H. Harris we discussed the fascinating story of how he came to identify, and later cure, the severe bone destruction affecting individuals who had undergone total hip replacement surgery. In this second interview, Dr. Harris reflects on his remarkable career; including what inspired him to pursue orthopaedic surgery, how he balances his two roles as a surgeon and clinician-scientist, and his advice for aspiring surgeons.

Posted on January 30, 2018

Read the blog post

Unravelling bone destruction in total hip replacements with William H. Harris

When orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. William H Harris discovered massive bone destruction around a total hip replacement that he had implanted, he was startled and dismayed. In fact, he had identified a new condition, 'periprosthetic osteolysis', which came to be the leading factor in failure of total hip replacement (THR) surgery. While THR surgery dramatically reversed severe arthritis of the hip, the same operation simultaneously created a relentless 'particle generator' in the body.

Posted on January 19, 2018

Read the blog post