AAHKS Amplified

Last year at the 2025 AAHKS Annual Meeting, our host William B. Kurtz, MD spoke with the James A. Rand, MD, Young Investigator’s Award recipient Michael E. Neufeld, MD, MSc, FRCSC about his study on Synovial Metal Ions in “Nickel Free” vs. Standard Cobalt-Chrome Containing Total Knee Replacement.  Dr. Neufeld shared that the aim of his study was to compare intraarticular synovial fluid levels of metal ions in patients who underwent cemented primary TKA with a hypoallergenic implant vs. a matched cohort of standard cobalt-chromium (Co-Cr) containing implants at a minimum two-year follow-up. A case-controlled study was conducted using prospectively collected data from a single institution – 22 cases and 19 controls.  Interestingly, the study uncovered that patients with hypoallergenic implants had intraarticular synovial Ni ion levels 3.6 times higher vs. standard implant controls, contesting the use of this hypoallergenic implant for Ni