Metal On Metal Hip Replacement Cobalt Levels

Cobalt toxicity can occur with metal on metal and metal on polyethylene hip implants.

Metal on metal hip replacement cobalt levels.

Besides the symptoms associated with other forms of metallosis cobalt toxicity can cause patients to suffer from fever inflammation and low thyroid levels. Really high metal levels are alarming. A diagnosis out of the blue by robert d. Average values in patients operated are 4 1 1 5 microg l for cobalt 0 3 0 1 microg l in the control group and 4 5 2 9 microg l for chromium 4 7 2 4 microg l in the control group.

One year after surgery average cobalt levels had risen to 417 nmol l for mom patients but only 33 nmol l for mop patients. This year s international story of cobalt toxicity occurring from metal wear after total hip replacement surgery was first broken during a session at the acr winter symposium on jan. Metal on metal hip implants were often constructed with cobalt and chromium. The results obtained confirm the presence of an increase of cobalt inthe blood of patients after total hip replacement while the chromium levels are almost alike.

What is considered a high level of chromium and cobalt. The body naturally stores a certain level of cobalt and chromium for healthy cellular function. Two years after surgery cobalt levels had risen to 538 nmol l for mom patients and 57 for mop patients. But plants animals and humans need only tiny amounts of it to survive.

As hip replacements fail and metal flakes enter the body patients can suffer from cobalt toxicity elevated cobalt levels. Released a report saying that concentrations higher than 7 parts per billion ppb of cobalt and or chromium are of concern. Bunning md facp facr.