[Sensitivity to constituents of bone cement in a patient with joint prosthesis]

Failure to tolerate prosthetic material can lead to a variety of clinical findings. A 55-year-old woman had a total replacement of the right knee. Two weeks later she developed pruritic skin lesions over the joint, as well as pain and impaired function. Allergic testing showed clinically relevant Type IV sensitization to methylmethacrylate, as well as to various formulations of the bone cement, including one with an added antibiotic. The symptom complex of pruritic skin lesions in the area of the prosthesis, pain and disability, as well as relevant Type IV sensitization justified replacing the prosthesis.