metallosis

Metallosis is the medical condition involving deposition and build-up of metal debris in the soft tissues of the body.

Metallosis has been known to occur when metallic components in medical implants, specifically joint replacements, abrade against one another. Metallosis has also been observed in some patients either sensitive to the implant or for unknown reasons even in the absence of malpositioned prosthesis. Though rare, metallosis has been observed at an estimated incidence of 5% of metal joint implant patients over the last 40 years. Women may be at slightly higher risk than men. If metallosis occurs, it may involve the hip and knee joints, the shoulder, wrist, elbow joints, or spine. In the spine, the wear debris and resulting inflammatory reaction may result in a mass often referred to as a "metalloma" in medical literature, which may lead to neurological impairment over time. A similar condition has been also described when titanium dental implant degradation occurs leading to inflammatory titanium particle-mediated Peri-implantitis. Titanium particles in the peri-implant tissues do not occur via functional abrasion but are thought to result from damaging hygiene procedures or due to complex electrochemical interactions caused by oral bacteria.