Evaluation of titanium release from titanium alloy implants in patients with spinal instrumentation

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to investigate the baseline serum titanium levels in patients with short-segment titanium alloy posterior instrumentation and to assess patient-, implant-, and surgery-related factors that might affect the serum titanium level. METHOD: Two groups of patients were included in the study. The study group comprised 39 patients who had undergone short-segment posterior instrumentation from January 2013 to June 2016. The control group comprised 11 randomly selected patients who presented to the outpatient clinic with no history of orthopedic surgery. The serum titanium levels and inter-group differences were analyzed. RESULTS: The mean serum titanium level was significantly higher in the study group than in the control group. No significant difference was observed between patients with different etiologies, implants used for fusion, numbers of instrumented segments, or postoperative durations. CONCLUSION: The serum titanium levels of patients with posterior lumbar spinal instrumentation are significantly higher than those of the normal population even after achievement of solid fusion. These levels are not affected by the use of transverse connectors, the use of cages, the operated segments, or the duration of implants.