There were several papers at the recent American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons meeting in San Francisco, California March 2008, discussing the use of metal-on-metal hip replacement. There have been reports in the literature outing a delayed hypersensitivity-type reaction. The incidence of this os felt to be very low, but the extent of potential problem is not completely known. Some studies haver reported this while other centers have had a extremely low rate of metal-on-metal allergic-type reaction. While this is certainly a possibility, it seems that the instance at most center is very low. We have extensive experience with metal-on-metal articulation in total hip replacement and have seen a very low incidence (less than 1%) of allergic-type reaction. Each combination of bearing surfaces and total hip replacement brings its own pluses and minuses and you should discuss these with your orthopedic surgeon.
