knee replacement allergy

I believe titanium is used now for knee replacements only.

Hi. You can have a blood test done for implant allergies. It's called an LTT test. It will test for all metals and cement allergies. Any skin allergy tests you might have had done previously are considered to be unreliable. I've also had doctors tell me that implant allergies are a fallacy which I thought was ridiculous since I've read multiple reports proving otherwise. The different implants have different allergy possibilities. Cobalt is still being used. You can find out who is your TKR manufacturer, the type of metals and the serial # from your surgeon or hospital if you don't have that information. Nickel, Cobalt and sometimes Chromium in some TKRs have been found to be major allergies for some people in addition to some cements. You can order a test kit from Orthopedic Analysis in Chicago. Go to their website to order the kit. The website is the same as their name. This silly site would not let me post the website link which is totally UNHELPFUL to people on this site. STUPID. Why would I post a spam site? Just adding to people's frustration which none of us need. It must be paid for up front and then submitted to your insurance for payment as they don't deal with any insurance. They leave that up to you the patient. Whether the insurer will reimburse you is always the question. Its about $550 dollars. I'm just now ordering the test myself. I will probably have more info later after I've done this myself. If a test is positive for a cement allergy, there is one cementless TKR on the market now -- Zimmer BioNet. You would need to research the metals in each TKR manufacturer to find the correct TKR to work around your allergies. Your surgeon could confirm the metals used in a particular TKR or a manufacturers rep. This same info would also apply to hip replacements. If you have any other questions, let me know.

I thought there was a class action suite some years back. Don’t recall. I know they use titanium now which are also used in dental implants. Don’t have 550 bucks to spend. I have three titanium plates and screws in my neck. Not sure about the cement used for fusion in orthopedic use. I’m always concerned about that. I had a toxicology test when I went to ER one time and they did a heavy metal test for gadolinium three months after I had an MRI since I noticed something strange after. There is chelation method supposedly to clear it out of your systems. Heavy metal can cause organ problems if it stays in your system. I periodically get updates on Gadolinium toxicity. Good research on your part. Keep on trucking. It might others.

There was a class action lawsuit (probably several) involving the Stryker hip that was recalled around 2012-2015. I received a settlement in 2015 after undergoing a revision for a recalled hip in which the metal deteriorated which resulted in poisoning and infection. I thought the settlement was deliberately calculated for a "low award" because the average age of the patients was older. Had people been younger I think the settlement would have been much larger. I wasn't going to use a lawyer, filing my own paperwork, to save the loss of a 1/3rd of the settlement, but they required the use of a lawyer to receive the settlement. That was probably illegal blackmail but I played along to get a settlement. Lawyers created one set of paperwork and then just kept filing the same paperwork, just changing the name of the patient for each filing. Lawyers made out like bandits.
I don't know if my severe pain problems in my TKR have to do with metal and/or cement allergies but even though I can't afford the $600 tests costs either, I don't know what else to do. Doctors aren't interested in detective work when something goes wrong. They just like to do the surgeries and then patients are on their own. I've now been to four different revision surgeons and no one can give me any idea why I'm in severe pain 24/7, can barely walk and can't do steps at all. I've also have unexplained rashes and the start of kidney problems, for no known reason. I also had unexplained sepsis last year that almost killed me. Related? No idea! Not much of a life at this point, pretty frustrating. So I'm doing the allergy tests as a last resort. Hopefully it will offer me some ideas. We patients absolutely have to be our own advocates. I'm more than fed up with the lack of help from physicians . . .

I am having the same issues. I had a TKR in 2019 after 2 years pain was getting a little better but never went away I have felt constant pain since the first surgery. My knee got infected the first time in 2021, I went to the hospital with sepsis had immediate surgery the next morning. They opened my knee up scrubbed it out and sent me home on IV antibiotics. It got better still painful though but I could walk. I got my second infection in 2022 I set in the hospital for 5 days without seeing an ortho doctor because they did not believe my knee was infected I got worse and on day 4 my organs were shutting down finally my wife got the administator to send in ortho they put me in surgery I was on vent for 3 days and unconscious from surgery. I have had 3 surgeries since than and changed surgeons to one in Indianapolis. They took out my prosthetic knee in the last surgery and put in a steel rod and a cement spacer with antibiotics. I have been in constant pain since then, november 19th. I am non weight bearing and on a walker. I had 6 infections of cellulitis or allergic reactions since then. It starts with high fever up to 104 degrees Fahrenheit last 48 hous then I devolope a rash on my inner thigh. I think I am allergic to nickel and the chemicals in the cement it is the only thing that makes sense. My surgeon or infectious disease doctor will not even discuss it as a possiblilty they keep blowing me off saying there is no way that is what it is. Does anyone know of a doctor that specializes in this? I have been dealing with this since august I need some answers the surgeons are now thinking about fusing my knee joint together straight I refuse to give up and do that. Thanks for any advise or help I can get.
DJM

PSG 25

I am in the exact same boat you are in chronic pain and no doctors want to help at all.
perform a surgery and you are on your own no matter what complications you have. Their response is it is normal some people have a little pain. when it is a debilitating pain. I wish I had answers if I find a surgeon that specializes in allergies I will let you know, Please do the same for me.

Thanks,

DJM

Call Orthopedic Analysis in Chicago, after my TKR 2019, I was stiff and in pain and my Ortho said i may be allergic to metals, when I asked him about allergies, pre-surgery, he brushed it off and I trusted him (big mistake). I had 8 vials sent to OA and found out I'm highly allergic to nickel and mildly allergic to chromium, cobalt, iron & bone cement. I'm living with it, a ticking time bomb but don't want to redo until i have to. I had my other knee done 2022 with Smith Nephew, zirconium but had to use bone cement. I'm 67, used to do Ironman's, now I can hardly walk, but ok, both knees are stiff but I ride my assist bike everyday and walk a little. I think your general Doctor could order the test. Good luck!!!

Mine also contained oxinium.

Thank you for your comment I will definitely check into Chicago as of now I=
found a testing center in Germany but Chicago sounds=20
Much more feasible for me as I am in western ky/southern Indiana. Could yo=
u not find a surgeon to put in
The cementless implant?

Sincerely,

Daniel J. Maloney
River City Pawnbrokers, Inc.

It cost $600 but worth it! The cementless had all the metals so I went with the zirconium.