TECHNIQUE FOR IDENTIFICATION OF SUBMICRON METAL PARTICULATE FROM IMPLANTS IN HISTOLOGICAL SPECIMENS

Metal implants are being used with increasing frequency for the treatm ent of many diseases in the field of orthopedics, cardiology, cardiova scular surgery, and otoplaryngology. Unfortunately, metals can be a so urce of submicron particles, which may have adverse effects on tissues . This article describes a technique that uses backscattered electron imaging and energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis, which have the capa city to perform both quantitative and qualitative analysis, The partic les can be characterized by size, shape, amount, and composition. Alth ough this technique can be used near the implant interface, it is part icularly helpful in tissues a great distance from the implant site wit h a low concentration of metal debris. Pm addition, the sensitivity an d specificity of this technique can be adjusted to the investigator's needs. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.