Patients in Bermuda will take part in a clinical study testing a new hip replacement device, the Bermuda Hospitals Board announced.

The BHB said that it would be involved in a US Food and Drug administration study on the Polymotion Hip Resurfacing system, manufactured by JointMedica.

The devices were co-invented by orthopaedic surgeon Ronan Treacy, who has been a regular visiting surgeon in Bermuda and has performed hundreds of Birmingham Hip Resurfacing procedures at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital over the past 25 years.

While the Birmingham hip replacement involves a metal ball and socket, the Polymotion includes a polyethylene lining to the socket to prevent the wear seen in metal-on-metal devices.

Although the Bermuda surgeries were the first in the US study, Dr Treacy has successfully implanted metal-on-polyethylene hip resurfacings similar to the Polymotion in Birmingham in Britain.

About 250 of these metal-on-polyethylene resurfacing devices have been implanted internationally, with the Polymotion used regularly in New Zealand to treat various hip conditions.

Dr Treacy said: “I believe we are the first overseas centre ever to have taken part in such a study. We are privileged to be in the company of fantastic centres such as NYU, New York; RUSH University Medical Center in Chicago; and some of the biggest names in hip surgery in the world.

“In total, the team performed the surgery on four patients. Each went home on the day of surgery. All are recovering well.”

A BHB spokeswoman said patients who had hip replacement surgery at KEMH were discharged the same day.

Dr Treacy said: “The patients actually prefer to go home and be in their own bed in their first night. The level of pain control isn’t really an issue. Patients are very mobile afterwards.

“This is the trend in the United States. We haven’t quite caught up in the UK. In fact, we are far in advance here at the KEMH to regular practice in the UK.”

William Peckett, the BHB Director of Orthopaedics, will perform most of the local clinical study cases, with the first hip replacement surgery using Polymotion having taken place at KEMH last month.

Dr Peckett said: “We are excited to be one of only ten centres that were chosen for this study. The other nine are all in the US.

“Over 200 patients are expected to be enrolled in the study, which will run for at least two years.

“We would be expecting to enrol approximately 20 Bermudian patients in total over that time period.”

Alicia Stovell-Washington, the BHB chief of surgery, said: “We are proud that JointMedica has included KEMH as a site for this FDA study.

“It reinforces that our surgical department has world-class staff and processes.”