A Case Report of Metallosis With a Failed Distal Femur Plate

Abstract

Metallosis is a very rare condition that poses a diagnostic challenge. Its precise incidence is not known and the condition should be suspected in patients who present with the clinical signs and symptoms discussed below. In particular, physicians and surgeons should pay special attention to whether metal prosthesis has been used for fracture repair or joint function. Here we report the case of a 40-year-old male who presented at an orthopedic surgery outpatient department in a tertiary care hospital with pain in the right distal thigh that had been ongoing for three months and swelling that had been ongoing for two months. According to the patient, he had received an operation for a right-sided distal femur fracture that was fixed with plate at a different hospital one year prior. Despite receiving all the appropriate physical exams and labs, and getting a radiologic workup, the diagnosis was unclear, and ultimately surgical exploration was conducted, which led to the diagnosis of metallosis. Although metallosis is a well-known complication, due to its rarity, physicians and surgeons often forget to keep metallosis as a differential that leads to diagnostic difficulties.