[Characteristics of 200 patients with suspected implant allergy compared to 100 symptom-free arthroplasty patients].

BACKGROUND

Data on implant allergies are incomplete; therefore, we compared the data on allergy history, patch test (PT) and lymphocyte transformation test (LTT) results in a patient series from the Munich implant allergy outpatient department with symptom-free arthroplasty patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In this study 200 arthroplasty patients with complaints involving the prosthesis (130 female, 187 knee and 13 hip prostheses) and in parallel 100 symptom-free patients (75 female, 47 knee and 53 hip prostheses) were investigated. A questionnaire-aided history including implant type, cementing, intolerance of dental materials, atopy, cutaneous metal intolerance (CMI) and PT, including a standard series with Ni, Co, Cr, seven bone cement components, including gentamicin and benzoyl peroxide and LTT for Ni, Co and Cr.

RESULTS

In the knee arthroplasty patients with complaints 9.1% showed dental material intolerance, 23.5% atopy, 25.7% CMI, 18.2% metal allergies, 7.4% gentamicin allergy and 27.8% positive metal LTT (mostly to Ni). In symptom-free patients 0% showed dental material intolerance, 19.1% atopy, 12.8% CMI, 12.8% metal allergy, 0% gentamicin allergy and 17% positive metal LTT.

CONCLUSIONS

Characteristics of the patients with complaints were increased intolerance of dental materials, higher rates of atopy, CMI, metal and gentamicin allergy and LTT reactivity.