Metal Allergy and ADR ?

[Sonata]

Hello everyone

Hope all is doing well/better with their conditions. I am always keeping you in my thoughts

I had a question that came in my mind about ADR. I see on several websites that during clinical trials for cervical/lumbar adr they have excluded patients with metal allergy. What does that exactly mean? I might be a candidate for 2level cervical adr sometime in the future and I do know that my skin gives reaction to anything other than gold. Like jewellery for example. I can't wear fake bracelets or necklaces etc..My skin gets a rash immediately. I was wondering if this is related to that kind of metal allergy. I am so sorry for my ignorance in this subject as I have just been diagnosed and have been doing research very recently. I know that they use very high quality metal in artificial discs but I was just wondering if they test for allergies before implanting them. And what would be the test like? I hope this hasn't been a silly question but I am trying to educate myself as much as possible.

Thank you very much again

Best regards to all

Sonata

c5-c6-c7 prolapsed discs
and some bone spurs
left arm slight pins and needles

[fuzzy]

They didn't even ask me about metal allergies. I think you don't need to worry as the surgical metals are ver well chosen and don't cause the kind of reaction cheap jewelry does. I have that allergy also but have not reacted to the ADR.

[dshobbies]

I believe there is a difference between actual allergies and skin sensitivities. I'm very fair complected and sensitive skin goes along with that. I too must be careful with what touches my skin. It does not however, mean that I'm allergic to it.

No one asked me either if I was allergic to any metals despite my history with asthma. I'm doing fine. I would certainly ask your doctor if this concerns you and if appropriate, the test is a relatively easy procedure.

My best to you and happy holidays, Dale

[mmglobal]

This has been discussed in the patient communities at length through the years. In the hundreds of patients I know, I've never met anyone with a metal reaction. I've been attending the major spine conferences for 5 years now and have never seen any data about allergic reaction to an implant in any of the studies presented.

This is a question that should be answered by your doctor in a way that satisfies you. The same question applies for other implants, including fusion screws, rods, etc...

Mark

[Sonata]

Thank you for all the replies. I have noticed this in clinical trials patient criteria for some of the implants in the US. Nevertheless I feel more comfortable about it now I am hoping with all my heart that ADR is the optimal solution in the long run, that non will have to go through fusion ever again.

[Job13]

RIP Freedom of Speech

[fuzzy]

I could never put cheap earings in my ears but the surgical steel ones where never a problem. Did your neighbor have an unusual allergy or just the usual irritations from nickel plated jewelry etc? I mentioned this before my surgery and it was deemed no problem. I am still fine, it seems the metal in my back is not causing any problems.

If its your first time with back pain wait and see is a good thing to do. I waited for years and I am glad I got this problem fixed but like said other places these surgeries are anything but routine and should only be considered a last resort.

[Katie]

I thought I would bring this thread alive again, since it affects me and possibly others so greatly. I also have the same reaction to jewelery as the OP, and someone recently recommended that I have a blood test done at Rush University in Chicago.

The results show that I am extremely reactive to Nickel, which is present in almost all spine hardware in different amounts, as well as highly allergic to cobalt, chromium, molybdenum, iron, and several others. Basically there are no current ADR appliances out there in common use that I can use that I've yet found.

My surgeon was quite concerned when I first brought up my Nickel allergy, as there were at least four cases reported at the last major spine conference in London, England this past May. The patients had to have major revision surgery done after months of trying to find the cause of their post-op illness.

While this is not common, it is a very serious complication which deserves investigation before surgery. The testing was initially started because of problems after hip and knee replacement surgeries. Sixty percent of the surgeries with problems afterwards were concluded to be caused by metal allergies. Some presented like infections, some had other symptoms.

Thankfully there has been progress made in this area. I am one of the lucky ones who benefited from being tested before surgery.

[Maria]

Hey Katie,
after continuing to read the updated part of this post I realized I cannot wear earrings unless they are gold, silver or surgerical steel w/o an irritation of my earlobes that is itchy, reddened and will even drain purulent material if worn in my piercings(2 per lobe).

I don't wear anything but gold usually as I've also had a reaction with necklaces (itching on upper chest, rash) altho I can tolerate most silver as well.

Never even considered allergy testing for metals...

[Katie]

Hi Maria,

I could wear some gold, not others, depending on the mixture of other metals in the piece of jewelery. The very weird part is that I could often wear an earring in my right ear, but not my left. I have swollen lymph nodes all the time on the left side too, but not the right. Go figure. Same reactions as you with all other metals, even silver. I was a cheap date...no expensive jewelery was necessary

There is good and bad to this testing. I avoided a very serious complication, but now I have no idea where to go or what to use for my four to five level DDD (depending on which surgeon I speak to as to the number needing treatment).

I feel like I'm starting all over again from four years back. But I'm now much wiser.

Maria, have you had surgery, and if so do you have any complications? You don't have anything in your signature and I haven't gone back through old posts, sorry.

[Maria]

Katie,
Have had 2 but no hardware. Discectomy and partial laminectomy at L5S1 (open surgery) in which results were good but then L4 bulged and I had a percutaneous discectomy at that level that failed big big time... since then (1992) the spine surgeries recommended for me have been 3 level global fusion L3-L5S1, 2 level ADR, then lastly in 2006 ADR at L4 and fusion at L5S1.

I had no further surgery past the two discectomies and more recently my OSS said L5S1 has autofused. I have much less pain/probs with my tailbone now. Feel more stable *down there*...

Oh yes, also my wedding ring and engagement ring are platinum and I tolerate this far better than gold or silver rings. I've always had problems with rings so didn't want to even wear one for the longest time.

[dshobbies]

I know of two women who have serious metal allergies. They can both wear platinum. Anybody know the price of a platinum ADR? Though in reality, you'd probably want to wear it on the outside of your body for all to see. Nah, that wouldn't be a good idea because you'd be homeless and living on the streets and afraid to close your eyes lest somebody steal it. However, you'd probably recieve a great deal of publicity and maybe some rich people would take sympathy with your plight and offer you a place to live for life. Unfortunately, the paparazzi would camp at your doorstep for a glimpse of your priceless ADR and you'd have no privacy. Then because you'd probably lose your temper and kick one of your staulkers, you'd end up doing community service. The next thing you know, you'll be picking up trash alongside the freeway. But then, oncoming drivers would be temporarily blinded by the glare of the sun off of your exposed ADR. The next scene would be your loved ones making the decision to turn off your machines and donating your organs, including donating your ADR to some other unsuspecting spiney who has the misfortune of a metal allergy and the whole process will just begin again.

Bad idea, forget this whole post!

[Maria]

Well let's just say that if anything is done here in the U.S. and with an insurance carrier paying for it you can bet your bottom dollar that the cheapest grade metal will be used and most certainly not platinum even if I were allergic and it was the only substance that could safely be implanted in my body ~ with this current healthcare system even if there was an authorization to use the implant that one isn't allergic to probably by the time the patient (me) would get to the operating room the implant would be lying in it's pretty clear package~ and it would be platinum plated only!

[Cheryl]

Has there been any recent developments on metal allergies and ADR?

Anyone reporting reactions?

[mmglobal]

Hi Cheryl,

This is a subject that we never see too much about. I've known a few people who felt that they did have metal allergies that were in play, but I've never seen anything resembling reliable data about it. I do know some people who have been tested for metal allergies prior to ADR surgery. I'm not sure how useful it is... allergy testing is not very exact. (although I would tend to believe a severe respose.)

I hope all else is fine... call some time and we'll catch up.

All the best,

Mark