5 replies to this topic

[t5 incomplete]

my name is Aaron horsley I was in a hit n run accident that left me paralyzed from t5 down I have two rods and I have a nickel allergy and now I think I have a titanium allergy to my back breaks out like my face and neck did when I wore anything with nickel it a under the skin and painful and I also get really bad itching ever since my accident witch is related to a nickel allergy and my paralysis didn't really set in till a month after the accident witch is how long it takes for the body to react to nickel or titanium you can put my name in Google and see my story

[HiltonP]

Perhaps you need to determine exactly what type of metal rods were put inside you?

Nickel has not been used in the jewellery industry for years now because of the allergic reactions it causes.
I would therefore find it surprising if the medical/surgical industry used it.

Titanium is not a good metal to use for spinal rods, and I would therefore also be surprised if they put
titanium into you. It can be used for other medical/surgical applications, but spinal rods, no, not the best
material at all. As I mentioned in my reply to your other thread two days ago, all the rods/knees/hips/etc
which I have encountered have all been made from vanadium, which is an inert metal, and does not react in any
way with the human body.

[Trinity]

 HiltonP, on 13 August 2010 - 08:08 AM, said:

Titanium is not a good metal to use for spinal rods, and I would therefore also be surprised if they put
titanium into you. It can be used for other medical/surgical applications, but spinal rods, no, not the best
material at all. As I mentioned in my reply to your other thread two days ago, all the rods/knees/hips/etc
which I have encountered have all been made from vanadium, which is an inert metal, and does not react in any
way with the human body.

Hi Hilton,
I am having trouble finding much out about vanadium in the context of spinal surgery, I have found a small amount on Vitallium. I am sure the rods in my back are titanium.
Can you post any info you have on vandanium please? I'm curious

Some other info I have found that people with a nickel allergy can also be allergic to stainless steel which can also be used in spinal surgery

[HiltonP]

Trinity, if you Google "harrington rods" you will pick up quite a bit more info.

Stainless steel is essentially an alloy, made up of a number of elements. There are literally hundreds
of different types of stainless steels. Some may contain more, or less, nickel than others.

The reason why I question the use of titanium is that one can change its properties by exposing it to
different temperatures, and chemicals. The titaniums being used in implants these days have a high vanadium
content anyway. What I have noticed is that surgeons are removing spinal fusion rods from patients after a
couple of years. This may lead them to think that because the rods aren't going to be in very long, that it
therefore doesn't matter if there is some physical reaction. The thing with spinal rods (unlike other
implants) is that they have to carry a load along their entire length, not just a pressure/weight load, but
a tension/spring load (as you move your upper body). This calls for a unique combination of properties.

P.S. . . . My (vanadium) rods have been in place for 33 years now.

[araitn]

Like Trinity, I'm positive that I have titanium rods, plates, and screws in my back.

Out of curiousity, I did some research and confirmed that titanium is the most commonly used metal for support of a spinal fusion. I also found some information on stainless steel but, it is less common.

I only found one, brief mention of vanadium. It stated that rarely titanium alloy, such as a titanium-aluminum-vanadium alloy, is used.

I'm not saying that pure vanadium rods are not used by any means. I just couldn't find any good information on it.

[sfedor408]

I have two titanium rods running from my occiput to C6. A few days ago one of them cracked in half, the noise was so loud I thought I broke my neck again. The narrow surgeon told me there is no risk of further injury by leaving the rods in. However, the constant crunching sound of the metal is very unnerving to say the least. Has anyone had this problem? I am tempted to have them removed which might also increase my range of motion. However, more neck surgery could be risky.. I am a C3 complete injury two years post. The CAT scan I had a few days ago clearly shows that the vertebrae are now fused, so I guess the rods purpose is no longer needed. Any suggestions, personal anecdotes would be appreciated. Thanks