Serum metal ion exposure after total knee arthroplasty

All metal implants release metal ions because of corrosion. This has been studied and debated, especially in metal-on-metal total hip arthroplasties. Total knee arthroplasty implants have large metal surface areas and therefore substantial potential for corrosion. We determined changes in serum levels of metal ions in 41 patients after cemented unconstrained total knee arthroplasty without patellar resurfacing, 18 with unilateral total knee arthroplasty (median, 66 months after surgery) and 23 patients with bilateral total knee arthroplasties (75 and 50 months after first and second surgeries, respectively). Serum concentrations of chromium, cobalt, and molybdenum were analyzed and related to the number of total knee arthroplasties and compared with those of 130 control patients without implants. The median chromium, cobalt, and molybdenum concentrations were 0.92, 3.28, and 2.55 microg/L, respectively, in the unilateral total knee arthroplasty sample and 0.98, 4.28, and 2.40 microg/L, respectively, in the bilateral total knee arthroplasty sample. We observed no difference between the serum levels in patients with unilateral and bilateral arthroplasties, but the serum levels of chromium and cobalt of both study groups were greater than those of the control group (less than 0.25 microg/L). The patients who had total knee arthroplasty had molybdenum profiles that were similar to those of the control group (median, 2.11 microg/L).