Metal On Metal Hip Replacement Cobalt Levels

Released a report saying that concentrations higher than 7 parts per billion ppb of cobalt and or chromium are of concern.

Metal on metal hip replacement cobalt levels.

But plants animals and humans need only tiny amounts of it to survive. A diagnosis out of the blue by robert d. 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.

Besides the symptoms associated with other forms of metallosis cobalt toxicity can cause patients to suffer from fever inflammation and low thyroid levels. The body naturally stores a certain level of cobalt and chromium for healthy cellular function. Bunning md facp facr. What is considered a high level of chromium and cobalt.

Really high metal levels are alarming. Cobalt is a part of vitamin b12 needed to produce red blood cells. One year after surgery average cobalt levels had risen to 417 nmol l for mom patients but only 33 nmol l for mop patients. As hip replacements fail and metal flakes enter the body patients can suffer from cobalt toxicity elevated cobalt levels.

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