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.

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. Average cobalt levels before hip replacement surgery were 21 nmol l for mom patients and 19 nmol l for mop patients. Bunning md facp facr. As hip replacements fail and metal flakes enter the body patients can suffer from cobalt toxicity elevated cobalt levels.

One year after surgery average cobalt levels had risen to 417 nmol l for mom patients but only 33 nmol l for mop patients. Really high metal levels are alarming. Cobalt toxicity can occur with metal on metal and metal on polyethylene hip implants. Metal on metal hip implants were often constructed with cobalt and chromium.

The body naturally stores a certain level of cobalt and chromium for healthy cellular function. Cobalt is a part of vitamin b12 needed to produce red blood cells. Besides the symptoms associated with other forms of metallosis cobalt toxicity can cause patients to suffer from fever inflammation and low thyroid levels. But plants animals and humans need only tiny amounts of it to survive.

Slightly elevated metal levels are normal for patients with metal on metal hip replacements. What is considered a high level of chromium and cobalt. Two years after surgery cobalt levels had risen to 538 nmol l for mom patients and 57 for mop patients.