Hip Implant Attorney
Cobalt poisoning is a potential risk factor for anyone implanted with a metal hip device. Fretting and corrosion can occur at any metal-on-metal juncture in a hip implant system including the juncture between the femoral head and cup or the femoral head and femoral stem.
When fretting and corrosion occurs, microscopic metal ions, particularly cobalt, wear off the components and are deposited into the surrounding hip tissue and bloodstream.
The localized effects from cobalt and chromium poisoning are well documented and include pain, tissue damage, bone necrosis, pseudotumor and the need for revision surgery. However, the systemic effects of metal ion toxicity from hip implants are less well known.
Reports in the medical literature indicate that the systemic effects of metal ion toxicity can include neurologuical (fatigue, weakness, poor coordination, cognitive dysfunction, depression, vertigo, visual and hearing impairment, and peripheral neuropathy), hematological (polycythaemia), endocrine (hypothyroidism), and cardiac (arrhythmias and cardiomyopathy) complications. Chromium and cobalt are also both widely considered cancer causing in humans.
The question remains. Is there a safe blood level of cobalt or chromium? The short answer is we don’t know. Currently, there are differing opinions as to whether there is a safe blood level of cobalt and chromium beyond the upper range of normal.
Some studies report that a blood level of cobalt over 1.2 ng/mL and chromium over 0.8 ng/mL are elevated and require further investigation, especially if accompanied by a new onset of hip pain. The Mayo Clinic describes levels equal to or greater than 5.0 ng/mL as toxic and levels greater than 10.0 ng/mL as indicating significant prosthesis wear with presumed substantial tissue destruction.
There is currently no effective adsorption or chelation therapy for cobalt or chromium. The main treatment option is to undergo revision surgery to remove the components that are emitting cobalt and chromium.
If you have a metal hip implant, it is important that you undergo annual surveillance blood testing to determine whether you have elevated blood levels of cobalt or and chromium. If your concentration of cobalt or chromium is above normal limits, your orthopedist may order radiological testing to look for additional evidence that your hip device is suffering fretting or corrosion damage.
If you or a loved one been injured by a hip implant, you may be entitled to significant compensation for your injuries.
To speak with an experienced hip implant attorney, contact Fitzgerald Law Group at (844) FITZ-LAW or (844) 348-9529, or complete the Case Evaluation Form on this website for a free, confidential, case assessment.
