allergic reaction to bone cement

Hi @denver - Welcome to Connect! I am so sorry to hear about your allergy to bone cement and all you have had to go through as a result. It sounds as if the allergic reaction causes a loosening of the joint. Obviously it is painful. This is just tragic. Can you walk w/o a walker or cane for support? I'm going to tag a few people who have had experience with allergies related to joint replacements. One of them may be able to share more insights than I can @melcpa86, @gutthookd and @JustinMcClanahan.

Also, here is a discussion that may interest you:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/need-tkr-and-had-positive-allergy-testing-bone-cement-and-metals/
I'm wishing you the best. Please keep us posted.

Thanks for posting this, I would like to connect with anyone going through this. I am still working part time, wearing a brace to help with the loose hardware. It does hurt, I take Tylenol or ibuprofen. I have read 1:5 are not happy with their TKR, but I am an outlier with these allergies.

@denver I have actually heard that 30% are not happy with their TKR. Had I known that before my TKRs I may not have had them. Actually the first was very necessary. I was limping very badly and in pain 24/7. I worked on the supporting muscles before my second TKR though and I could have managed without it but I knew I would need one eventually so I went ahead and had it done, and I am one of the large percentage who are very happy with their TKRs, more my second one than my first.
JK

Hello, I’m new to this site and read about Denver at Denver re their TKR. I too have had a bad experience after my surgery done August 2019. After 2 1/2 mos. of therapy and riding the bike for 15 mins. I suddenly couldn’t make a full revolution. The pain in my knee has always been in pretty much the same area. I have gone to multiple surgeons for “second opinion”. The last dr. I saw suggested I go for allergy testing....I. Came back positive for MMA, methyl methacrylate and neomycin sulfate. I am devastated !! My surgeon literally blew me off when I saw him at 7 mos. post operative I was complaining of same pain. There are so many legal suits pertaining to this cement! Why didn’t they make me go for allergy testing, since this seems to be a problem that has been on going for quite some time! That’s all it would have taken is a simple allergy test. I’m in more pain now than prior to my surgery. Is there anything ELSE that would or could be used in MMA substitution? I can’t believe this is still in use! Why? I don’t know what to do......

Had TKR in January and Manual Manipulation in March. Always had pain since surgery. Pain getting worse on outside of knee. Where was your pain located. Wondering if I’m allergic also. My surgeon retired and the surgeon who took over ignored my pain concerns and said “stop think about your knee all the time and just live with it”.

Hello @irish283 and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! I am so sorry you are going through this and at the same time I am thankful that you were able to pin point the reason for the pain that has been affecting your life. As you read, @denver has had a similar reaction/allergy and I am also going to bring in a couple of other members previously mentioned in this discussion, @melcpa86 @gutthookd, who may be able to offer support.

At this point, are you still consulting with the last doctor you saw? If so, what were the recommended next steps/options?

Hi, I'm so sorry you went through what I went through exactly. Including being blown off by my surgeon in Vail. I too, am allergic to the bone cement. The other option- call Dr Mark Tuttle at PSL hosp in Denver. There is a device called a press fit, the bone grows into the device and cement isn't needed, 6 wks on crutches while it grows into the TKR. You don't say where you live, but I imagine every large city has this option, it isn't a new method. I am 100% fine now, biking, hiking, doing yoga. Let us know how you are. It will be alright!

Hello, this is Irish283. My pain was most Of time on the outer right side of rt. Knee by joint I had pain, swelling it felt hot to touch.
At about one month after surgery I was taken by ambulance to ER. The pain came on very suddenly and the severity was about 20 on a scale of 1-10! They checked for infection, loose prosthetic,. They didn’t find anything. This keeps me up at night. I usually wake up from pain always on the outer right side and sometimes it is also on the back of knee. I put ice pack on it and it helps.
I’m grateful knowing that it’s not in my head.....I have never been allergic to ANYTHING,
When I went to the allergist they tested me for metals, cements and other things that I don’t remember what ....I also had a reaction to neomycin, which is an antibiotic. I don’t know what to do, this stuff is dangerous. If it breaks down due to my body rejecting this it could get into my blood and then I could possibly have an embolism, which could kill me, or my heart could be affected.
They need to manufacture another type of cement without this methyl methacrylate. I between a rock and a hard place!
Go get tested!

Hello,Amanda, the last doctor I saw said the other option was to do the revision without cement. I didn’t get into specifics because I was still in shock. I will eventually ask that surgeon about the press fit, but I need to have my rotator cuff repaired. I tore it trying to push myself up out of chairs. So need to do that first! But this is helpful “talking to others” who are going through the same issue.

Amanda, please see below....I thought I was replying to you....ooops