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Can I have a knee replacement if I am allergic to nickel?

Metal allergy is a rare cause of implant failure. If you are allergic or sensitive to metal, then it is important to alert your surgeon prior to having joint replacement surgery. The most common metal allergy is nickel, which is found in very small quantities in knee implants and in some hip implants.

Is there nickel in titanium knee replacements?

Most joints are an alloy of several metals, but some of the titanium alloys contain no nickel at all.

What are symptoms of body rejecting knee replacement?

The most common symptoms of a failed knee implant are pain, decrease in joint function, knee instability, and swelling or stiffness in the knee joint.

Can your body reject a titanium knee replacement?

Knee implant rejection is extremely rare. People may confuse it with infection, but the two are different complications. Implant rejection, or metal hypersensitivity, happens when metal in the implant triggers a reaction in the patient’s body. This can be an allergic reaction or an autoimmune response.

Can I be allergic to the metal in my knee replacement?

The most common metal ions found in knee replacement implants that can cause hypersensitivity include nickel, cobalt, and chromium. These metals are known to cause skin sensitivity in the general public; about 15 percent of people have nickel sensitivity.

What metal is in knee replacements?

The metals commonly used include cobalt-chromium, titanium, zirconium, and nickel. Metal-on-plastic is the least expensive type of implant and has the longest track record for safety and implant life span.

Is there nickel in knee replacement parts?

Metal Sensitivity The most common metal ions found in knee replacement implants that can cause hypersensitivity include nickel, cobalt, and chromium. These metals are known to cause skin sensitivity in the general public; about 15 percent of people have nickel sensitivity.

How much nickel is in a knee replacement?

“Furthermore, there is less than 1% nickel in the cobalt-alloy implants commonly used in joint replacement, making nickel allergy an unlikely phenomenon in the setting of total knee replacement, for example.”

Do all knee replacements have nickel?

Nickel is contained in some, but not all, implants. The only way to tell whether the specific implant in question contains nickel is to obtain this information from the manufacturer of the implant in question.

Are there any recalls on knee replacements?

Nearly 1,000 implant parts used in knee surgeries have been affected by DePuy, Zimmer-Biomet and Stryker knee replacement recalls….Knee Recalls by Manufacturer, 2003 – 2018.

Can you be allergic to metal implants?

An allergic reaction to an implanted metal can range from mild irritation of the skin over the implant to pain and tenderness around the implant. In severe cases, an implanted joint can loosen, or system‐wide symptoms such as rash, hives and joint pain can result.