Metallosis After Total Hip Arthroplasty

Abstract

A 67-year-old overweight woman was referred to physical therapy by an orthopaedic surgeon for lumbosacral spondylosis without myelopathy. Past medical history included a right total hip arthroplasty (THA) 9 years ago and a left THA 7 years ago. The patient underwent a 6-week physical therapy program but did not improve as expected, which resulted in a consultation with another in-house physical therapist who performed musculoskeletal ultrasound of the right hip, revealing a soft tissue mass. The patient was referred back to the orthopaedist, who ordered magnetic resonance imaging that confirmed an oval mass along the lateral right hip. Further testing was positive for cobalt poisoning, and the patient was diagnosed with metallosis. JOSPT Cases 2021;1(3):197–198. doi:10.2519/josptcases.2021.10339