Metallosis occurs when a foreign object—such as metal ions which are produced by a metal hip implant—enter the tissues of the body. The body reacts by sending special types of white blood cells called macrophages to attack the area and fight the metal ions. While the goal of the body is to trap the metal shards and prevent them spreading to other parts of the body, in this particular case it is somewhat of a lost cause. The body is, of course, unable to remove the metal shards and inflammation, pain, tissue destruction or death and bone loss are the potential results. The longer the metal ions remain in the body, the more potential damage.

If you are the recipient of a metal-on-metal hip implant, you may have been exposed to cobalt and chromium metals accumulating in your body. In the all-metal hip implants—or the implants which utilize a ceramic ball yet still use a metal liner—when the implant recipient engages in activity, the metal components rub against one another, creating friction. This friction releases microscopic metal ions into the body which will either travel into the bloodstream or will become lodged in the surrounding tissues.