PURPOSE. To evaluate the chromium level of the salvaged blood in patients undergoing revision total hip arthroplasty (THA). METHODS. Records of 7 women and one man aged 54 to 83 (mean, 64.3) years who underwent revision THA for aseptic loosening of the acetabular component (n=6), osteolysis of the acetabulum (n=1), or migration of the outer head (n=1) were reviewed, as were 2 controls who underwent primary THA. The initial THA entailed a metal-on-metal prosthesis (n=4), a metal-on-polyethylene prosthesis (n=3), and a bipolar head prosthesis (n=1). Chromium levels in the preoperative peripheral blood and intraoperative salvaged blood were measured using atomic absorption analysis. RESULTS. For controls and the patient with a bipolar head prosthesis, the mean chromium level in salvaged blood was 0.4 (range, 0.2-0.6) micrograms/l, which was significantly lower than that in the remaining 7 patients undergoing revision THA (mean, 5.6 micrograms/l; range, 1.2-9.8 micrograms/l). CONCLUSION. Salvaged blood of patients with a metal-on-metal prosthesis undergoing revision THA contained higher levels of chromium.
Keywords: arthroplasty, replacement, hip; chromium; operative blood salvage; reoperation.