Metal On Metal Hip Replacement Cobalt Levels

A diagnosis out of the blue by robert d.

Metal on metal hip replacement cobalt levels.

Cobalt toxicity can occur with metal on metal and metal on polyethylene hip implants. Average cobalt levels before hip replacement surgery were 21 nmol l for mom patients and 19 nmol l for mop patients. Two years after surgery cobalt levels had risen to 538 nmol l for mom patients and 57 for mop patients. 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.

Besides the symptoms associated with other forms of metallosis cobalt toxicity can cause patients to suffer from fever inflammation and low thyroid levels. As hip replacements fail and metal flakes enter the body patients can suffer from cobalt toxicity elevated cobalt levels. The body naturally stores a certain level of cobalt and chromium for healthy cellular function. Released a report saying that concentrations higher than 7 parts per billion ppb of cobalt and or chromium are of concern.

Cobalt is a part of vitamin b12 needed to produce red blood cells. 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. But plants animals and humans need only tiny amounts of it to survive. 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. Really high metal levels are alarming. Slightly elevated metal levels are normal for patients with metal on metal hip replacements.