Systemic Cobalt Toxicity Secondary to Tibial Component Malpositioning in Bilateral Primary Total Knee Arthroplasties.

Summary: Imagine getting new knees so you can walk without pain, only to feel confused, numb, and have heart problems ten years later. That is exactly what happened to one patient. The metal and plastic parts in their knee replacements were put in at a slight angle. Over time, they rubbed together the wrong way, wearing down the plastic and scraping the metal. This released tiny metal flakes into the patient's blood, causing a very rare but serious problem called metal poisoning. Doctors had to do another surgery to replace the worn-out knee parts and stop the poisoning. This story shows that doctors must check for metal wear if a patient's knee replacement hurts or feels loose years later.