The Metal Test....I had total knee replacement three years ago in St. Louis. I was in extreme pain below the knee for three weeks. The surgeon had done thousands of these knee replacements (Stryker) and hadn't seen this before. I was put back in the hospital for four days until the pain subsided. I was on heavy meds but the pain just went away. I hadn't been given a metal test.
Now I am due for another knee replacement on my other knee and as I've already had a Stryker knee replacement the nurse felt no need for a metal test just a patch to test for a metal reaction. I passed the patch test but thought about the problem that I had a few years ago and asked for the metal test (a blood draw). The test results show that I am very reactive to Nickel, Chromium and Zirconium. Just what the Stryker knee is made from.
My new knee will now be made of ceramic material.
FYI I would ask for the metal test. I may have been one in a million to have a reaction to the Stryker knee but the metal test will clear up any doubts.
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