Got new x-rays and blood test for ions

[obxpelican]

I guess Dr. Gross wants to develop some data for metal ions so as requested I got another set of x-rays and tests for metal ions on Friday.

I got a CD of my x-rays and overlayed them over my old ones from 9/08 and they are an exact match with the exception that my cup area has fully filled in with bone ingrowth so I am not worried about the implant.  I'm not concerned about metal ions since I have no symptoms so I am guessing my tests should be fine condsidering my implant is sitting at a nominal angle.

I'll post Dr. Gross's report as soon as I receive it.  I'll be 4 years this August.



Chuck

[John C]

Hi Chuck,
I also received the request a few months ago from Dr. Gross's office for a metal ion test. My guess is that it is related to the FDA requesting (requiring) that all manufacturers provide data on MOM prosthesis. I had the ion test done at the end of December, which was almost exactly 3.5 years post op. Very happy to say that my numbers came back at .5 for Chromium and .6 for Cobalt, with a reference range of 1.2 and 1.8 respectively.
My first test at 2 years came back at 1.3 for Chromium (the reference range that they gave at that time was up to 1.4), so the good news is that my numbers have dropped from low to lower as I moved out of the "wear in" period; as was predicted by the Dr Gross and the other leading developers of resurfacing.
I think that with the publicity around high ion numbers, the move to have everyone tested is a very good one, in hopes that it will provide solid data showing that well placed and well designed prostheses should result in low ion numbers. While many of us have believed this to be true, having these large data sets will go a long way in improving the clarity of our picture of what the reality is with MOM and ion numbers.
Please be sure to post Dr Gross's report when you get it. I am confident that it will be very positive.

[obxpelican]

John,

This year will be a good test as I started more activity, mainly basketball and I would love to get back to racquetball.  I also have started a regime of work on the elliptical too. 

It was a weird feeling running again though.  LOL

I'll for sure let you know how the report goes.  I cannot imagine there would be anything wrong with my implant, it's almost a mirror copy of my 2008 x-ray, except for the area around the cup and the acetabular being all filled in nicely.  We'll see.


Chuck

[imgetinold]

Chuck,

How can you tell that the cup area has fully filled in with bone ingrowth?  I asked Lee about that, and she seemed to say that you can't see that in an x-ray.  She may have been referring to the ball, and not the cup.  But, can you explain what you're looking at so that I might check the same at a year?

[hernanu]

Chuck and John - your results are great from the sounds of it. I'm going to be 2 years in August, will probably be doing the ion test just to get myself well catalogued.

[obxpelican]

Good luck buddy, hope it all works out.


Chuck

[Luanna]

Hi Chuck,

I'm sure your results will be fine. I'd love to see your xrays. Can you post them on this site? It would be so cool to see the changes over time.

Luanna

[Tin Soldier]

Luanna and others, I recall a thread where there were someone posted a number of x-rays of several yealry intervals past surgery.  Maybe it was an anonymous person, not sure.  Anyway, the images and discussion focused on the femoral neck and how it thins a bit over time as the bone reconstructs itself to work with the slightly modified stress regime within the new hip.  It was pretty interesting.  one note - just because the neck thins, doesn't mean that it is weaker.  I think a few surgeons have stressed that point when asked about the neck thinnning phenomona.  Can't remember the main nuggets for searching that thread, but "femoral neck thinning" might get you somewhere.   

I'm sure we'd all still love to see Chuck's x-rays though.