Conquest of a worldwide human disease: particle-induced periprosthetic osteolysis.

It is rare in the long history of human disease to encounter a completely unique disease. In the 21st century, when it does occur, the disease commonly is man-made, as is true for periprosthetic osteolysis. However, it also is rare to unravel the mysteries of a biologic process as complex as periprosthetic osteolysis in slightly longer than one generation and even less common to create the means for the worldwide prevention of an entire disease. Such is the story of periprosthetic osteolysis. The adventure from the iatrogenic creation of the disease to the identification of its pathology, to the understanding of its molecular biology and, subsequently, to its prevention, during a period of four decades, is a fascinating story of medical detective work.