Chromium level of salvaged blood in patients undergoing revision hip arthroplasty.

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.