Abstract

Background. The course of knee osteoarthritis is closely related to the content of metals in the environment of patients, which has a significant additional effect on the nature of microelementosis in patients after joint arthroplasty. Purpose of the study: to evaluate the nature of the effect of cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), thallium (Ti), and vanadium (V) in the soil of the patients’ regions of residence on the course of knee osteoarthritis and micro­elementosis of such metals in blood and hair. Materials and me­thods. Eighty seven patients with knee osteoarthritis aged 32 to 76 years were examined, 45 % of them were men and 55 % — women. SolAAr-Mk2-MOZe (Great Britain) spectrometer with electrographite atomizer was used. Results. Microelementosis of metals in the blood of patients with knee osteoarthritis is observed in 41% of cases, and in hair — in 23%. The level of Ti in the soil directly correlates with the concentrations of Fe and Mo in the blood serum, and the hair levels of Al, Co, Cr, Mo, Ni, Ti and V depend on the content of Co, Cr, Ni and V in the soil, the integral indexes of the severity of microelementosis in the blood and hair of patients with knee osteoarthritis has direct dispersion-correlation links, respectively, with the indices of Cr and V in the soil, while Co, Ti and V affect the formation of epiphyseal osteoporosis, ligamentitis, trabecular edema of the femur and patella, and damage to the anterior cruciate ligament. Living of patients in territorial zones with Cr level in the soil > 270 mg/kg refers to an unfavorable criterion for the development of chromic microelementosis in the blood, and V > 160 mg/kg — vanadic in the hair. Conclusions. Residence of patients with knee osteoarthritis with high content of Co, Ni and V in the soil is the risk factor for Mo, Ti, and V microelementosis, which must be taken into account when planning the program of arthroplasty.

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