Effectiveness of Titanium Niobium Nitride Coating in Total Knee Arthroplasty

Modern knee implants combine several types of metal and therefore potentially expose patients to different metal ions.

Titanium niobium nitride coating (TiNbN) acts like a physical barrier against the corrosion process and the metallic ions release towards the surrounding biologic environment, thus, making TiNbN-coated prostheses possible to be safety implanted in metal sensitized patients.

The aim of the study is to verify that the postoperative plasma metal concentrations at 1 year are not different than preoperative values.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients candidate for unilateral primary total knee arthroplasty

Exclusion Criteria:

• Existing orthopaedic metal implants
• A history of hypersensitivity to metals
• Preoperative patch-test positivity to Co, Cr, Ni and Ti
• Malignancies
• Renal insufficiency
• Severe illnesses that would impair participation in this study