Skin Allergies to Nickel and Cobalt

[Pat Walter]

Hi - ...  Seems like a great site - I want hip resurfacing, but appear to have skin allergies to nickel and cobalt...wondered if anyone out there knows if titanium resurfacing devices are on their way.

Eric

[Pat Walter]

Hi Eric

Many people have had hip resurfacings that do have skin allergies to metals. I have a page all about skin allergies on the website  http://www.surfacehippy.info/pcskinallergies.php

This is the main information from the website page:

Skin allergies to metals does not mean you will be allergic to a hip resurfacing device inside your body at the deep tissue level.  This is a question that many people ask. The best way to know if you can have a hip resurfacing when you have skin allergies to metals is to ask an experienced hip resurfacing surgeon.

Dr. Bose has written this explanation about the metal allergy problem:

"Allergy after artificial joints is an interesting issue. One must keep in mind that the co-cr-mo alloy has been in clinical use for 45 yrs and is present in 99% of all hip and knee replacement surgery. Even if a component is titanium the articulating part would be always co-cr-mo. Therefore metal sensitivity is not exclusive to metal on metal joints. It is a factor in every joint replacement surgery and therefore has been used in millions of patients. Skin allergy is quite different from deep tissue allergy which is mediated by different mechanisms of immune response by the body. Thus skin testing is of no value when trying to gauge deep tissue hypersensitivity. There have been reports of hundreds of patients who had skin sensitivity but went on to have very successful resurfacing. Only one thing can be said about deep tissue sensitivity at this point in time --- it is very very rare.

with best regards

vijay bose chennai 

I hope that helps to answer your question.  Of course, it is always best to ask your own doctor if you are a candidate for hip resurfacing if you have skin allergies to metals.

Pat