Tags
Acetabulum, arthritis, Cobalt, Cobalt chrome, Cobalt Ions, cobalt levels, Cobalt poisoning, cobaltism, corrosion, DePuy, Food & Drug Administration, hip arthroplasty, Hip recall, Hip Replacement, hip replacement failure, medical, Metal on metal hip, metal-on-metal hips, metallosis, MoM Hips, Orthopedic surgery, revision surgery, surgery, Total Hip Replacement, UNited States
A metal-on-metal hip implant is usually made of chromium and cobalt, and consists of an acetabular cup that’s implanted into the hip with a ball joint that connects to the leg. Cobalt poisoning results when the metal components of an implant begin to wear and microscopic metal shards are absorbed into the blood stream and infiltrate the organs. The tissue damage that results from cobalt poisoning can complicate future revision surgeries intended to replace the damaged metal-on-metal hip implant.
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Earl's View 
I have told you all my story on my hip replacement failure and am now recovering from my revision that was done almost 3 weeks ago. seen the doc yesterday and he said they tested my metal levels in the fluid around the replacement during surgery and he gave me the results, they are as follows cobalt 513.9 ug/l and chromium is >1000.0 ug/l can anyone explain how high that is to me? or what it means. Also I have a lawyer who wants me to talk to him about a case, but i was wondering how long is the statue of limitations is on this kind of case. My first surgery was less than 2 years ago and revision was 2 1/2 weeks ago. Any help would be nice. thanks so much!
Hi Earl,
as you know I had my cobalt burmingham replaced in Jan this year. All good so far. I have written to the TGa to list this prosthesis/ problem Have you heard of any lagal cases so far in australia with burmingham relacements?
Phoebe
Hi Phoebe
Great to hear you are going OK!
No legal action happening here yet against Smith & Nephew.
Seems lawyers are just focused on DePuy because it is much bigger and there was a recall.
My revision has passed one year and is OK – the left hip is in need of replacing but will have to wait as I am over having operations!
All the best!
Earl
Hey Earl,I just wanted to thank you for finnally shedding some light on the problem . I had cobalt chromium coronary heart stents put in back in 2007 and about six months later I started having bad headaches,vertigo,and tinnitus. My thinking is that this problem goes even further than just the defective hip replacements. what is your opinion? I even went as far as having a heavy metals test done, it came back negative,but I still have the symptoms of cobalt poisoning. I don’t know of any research thats beening done as far as the coronary stents, or if any legal cases have comeforth. Do you have any suggestions as to where I can get more info. on the problem? Thanks for any he.lp you can suggest
Hi Mike
Interesting observations. Maybe metals in the body are just bad news under any circumstances. Who needs iTunes when you have tinnitus. Mine is like a cloud of angry locusts and yet I never had exceptionally high metal ion levels. Just about double normal.
So maybe, metal ions leach regardless. Most metals do corrode in warm salty environments, so maybe wear and tear is not required to release enough metal ions to produce a clinical problem? If that is the case, then we have a major problem.
Something I will have to look into more.
Earl