Diagnosis of Metal Hypersensitivity in Orthopedics

The pathology of early aseptic implant failure has been linked in basic science, case and group studies to metal implant debris induced Delayed Type Hypersensitivity (DTH) responses (or metal allergy). However, a pre-condition of metal DTH does not always result in implant failure. The methods of diagnosing metal DTH responses, measure cell mediated adaptive immunity, where conditioned lymphocytes respond to specific stimuli. Metal sensitivity testing is a direct test of an individual ′s immune response to metal challenge where the results indicate levels of immune reactivity that have in use over the past half century to measure delayed type responses to drugs (such as antibiotics).
Source: Operative Techniques in Orthopaedics - Category: Orthopaedics Authors: Source Type: research