Battlefield-Acquired Immunogenicity to Metals Affects Orthopaedic Implant Outcome

The effects of battlefield injuries on the immune system are currently unknown, especially to metals such as shrapnel. Previous studies have link exposure to metal with increased immune responses allergy. Thus battlefield injuries resulting in increased exposure to metal may sensitize individuals and lead to excessive immune responses to orthopedic implants, which many soldiers will need. The short term goal of this project is to understand whether soldiers with battle field injury and traumatic exposure to metal debris have increased immune system reactivity to metals such as metal allergy or immune hypersensitivity alterations. We will compare the metal reactivity of immune cells isolated during a typical blood draw 6 regular blood draw tubes totaling 60mL from soldiers exposed to metals in battle and compared with immune cell reactivity of 3 other groups of people injured soldiers without exposure to metals fragments, non-injured healthy soldiers and non-soldiers of similar background. We expect to find that soldiers with injuries involving metal fragments will show elevated reactivity to metals and will thus be at greater risk of poor orthopedic implant outcome e.g. Aluminum, Chromium, Cobalt Iron, Molybdenum, Nickel, Vanadium and Zirconium.